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"description" => "Many people, whether they are seekers or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world. Despite their doubts, one fact comes through loud and clear, that is, God prevails upon creation! If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe, He certainly guides and controls it.",
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
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<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
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<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
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<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
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<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
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<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
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"keywords" => "a:1:{i:77;s:0:"";}",
"featured" => "1",
"status" => "approved",
"created" => "2009-03-18 12:51:46",
"modified" => "2012-04-21 08:24:02"
),
"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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),
array(
"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "203",
"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "2",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_start_verse" => "17",
"scripture_end_book" => "2",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_end_verse" => "34",
"description" => "[empty string]",
"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
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The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
<o:p></o:p></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
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"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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"id" => "203",
"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "2",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_start_verse" => "17",
"scripture_end_book" => "2",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_end_verse" => "34",
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"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
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"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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AuthorsController::$base = "[empty string]"
AuthorsController::$layout = "default"
AuthorsController::$autoRender = false
AuthorsController::$autoLayout = true
AuthorsController::$components = array(
"Session"
)
AuthorsController::$view = "View"
AuthorsController::$ext = ".ctp"
AuthorsController::$__viewClass = "*RECURSION* -> View"
AuthorsController::$output = NULL
AuthorsController::$plugin = NULL
AuthorsController::$cacheAction = false
AuthorsController::$persistModel = false
AuthorsController::$webservices = NULL
AuthorsController::$passedArgs = array()
AuthorsController::$_log = NULL
AuthorsController::$modelClass = "Author"
AuthorsController::$modelKey = "author"
AuthorsController::$Session = SessionComponent
SessionComponent::$__active = true
SessionComponent::$__started = true
SessionComponent::$__bare = 0
SessionComponent::$valid = true
SessionComponent::$error = array(
"Author doesn't exist"
)
SessionComponent::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionComponent::$path = "/"
SessionComponent::$lastError = 2
SessionComponent::$security = "medium"
SessionComponent::$time = 1337368927
SessionComponent::$sessionTime = 1337380927
SessionComponent::$watchKeys = array()
SessionComponent::$id = NULL
SessionComponent::$_log = NULL
SessionComponent::$host = "www.pulpittoday.com"
SessionComponent::$cookieLifeTime = 604800
SessionComponent::initialize()
SessionComponent::startup()
SessionComponent::activate()
SessionComponent::write()
SessionComponent::read()
SessionComponent::del()
SessionComponent::delete()
SessionComponent::check()
SessionComponent::error()
SessionComponent::setFlash()
SessionComponent::renew()
SessionComponent::valid()
SessionComponent::destroy()
SessionComponent::id()
SessionComponent::start()
SessionComponent::started()
SessionComponent::watch()
SessionComponent::ignore()
SessionComponent::Object()
SessionComponent::toString()
SessionComponent::requestAction()
SessionComponent::log()
SessionComponent::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Author = Author
Author::$name = "Author"
Author::$validate = array(
"name" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"1"
),
"message" => "This field is required"
),
"email_address" => array(
"checkUniquity" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkEmailUniquity"
),
"on" => "create",
"message" => "An account already exists for that e-mail address."
),
"email" => array(
"rule" => array(
"email",
true
),
"message" => "You must enter a valid e-mail address"
)
),
"existing_password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkExistingPassword"
),
"message" => "The password you entered is not correct"
),
"password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"8"
),
"message" => "Your password must be at least 8 characters long"
),
"password2" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkPasswordMatch"
),
"message" => "The passwords you entered do not match"
)
)
Author::$useDbConfig = "default"
Author::$useTable = "authors"
Author::$displayField = "name"
Author::$id = NULL
Author::$data = array()
Author::$table = "authors"
Author::$primaryKey = "id"
Author::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"name" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"biography" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"copyright_notice" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"email_address" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
),
"username" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"password" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
)
)
Author::$validationErrors = array()
Author::$tablePrefix = NULL
Author::$alias = "Author"
Author::$tableToModel = array(
"authors" => "Author"
)
Author::$logTransactions = false
Author::$transactional = false
Author::$cacheQueries = false
Author::$belongsTo = array()
Author::$hasOne = array()
Author::$hasMany = array()
Author::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Author::$actsAs = NULL
Author::$behaviors = array()
Author::$whitelist = array()
Author::$cacheSources = true
Author::$findQueryType = NULL
Author::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Author::$recursive = 1
Author::$order = NULL
Author::$__exists = NULL
Author::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Author::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Author::$__backAssociation = array()
Author::$__insertID = NULL
Author::$__numRows = NULL
Author::$__affectedRows = NULL
Author::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
Author::deleteAll()
Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
Author::findAll()
Author::execute()
Author::findCount()
Author::isUnique()
Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
Author::getAffectedRows()
Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
Author::beforeFind()
Author::afterFind()
Author::beforeSave()
Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
Author::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Sermon = Sermon
Sermon::$name = "Sermon"
Sermon::$belongsTo = array(
"Author" => array(
"foreignKey" => "author_id",
"className" => "Author",
"conditions" => "[empty string]",
"fields" => "[empty string]",
"order" => "[empty string]",
"counterCache" => "[empty string]"
)
)
Sermon::$useDbConfig = "default"
Sermon::$useTable = "sermons"
Sermon::$displayField = "title"
Sermon::$id = false
Sermon::$data = array()
Sermon::$table = "sermons"
Sermon::$primaryKey = "id"
Sermon::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"title" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 200,
"key" => "index"
),
"author_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 5
),
"scripture_start_book" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_start_chapter" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_start_verse" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_book" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_chapter" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_verse" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"description" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"sermon" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null,
"key" => "index"
),
"date_authored" => array(
"type" => "date",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"keywords" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"featured" => array(
"type" => "boolean",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 1
),
"status" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => "awaiting_approval",
"length" => 40
),
"created" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"modified" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
)
)
Sermon::$validate = array()
Sermon::$validationErrors = array()
Sermon::$tablePrefix = NULL
Sermon::$alias = "Sermon"
Sermon::$tableToModel = array(
"sermons" => "Sermon",
"authors" => "Author"
)
Sermon::$logTransactions = false
Sermon::$transactional = false
Sermon::$cacheQueries = false
Sermon::$hasOne = array()
Sermon::$hasMany = array()
Sermon::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Sermon::$actsAs = NULL
Sermon::$behaviors = array()
Sermon::$whitelist = array()
Sermon::$cacheSources = true
Sermon::$findQueryType = NULL
Sermon::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Sermon::$recursive = 1
Sermon::$order = NULL
Sermon::$__exists = NULL
Sermon::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Sermon::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Sermon::$__backAssociation = array()
Sermon::$__insertID = NULL
Sermon::$__numRows = NULL
Sermon::$__affectedRows = NULL
Sermon::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Sermon::$_log = NULL
Sermon::$Author = Author
Author::$name = "Author"
Author::$validate = array(
"name" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"1"
),
"message" => "This field is required"
),
"email_address" => array(
"checkUniquity" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkEmailUniquity"
),
"on" => "create",
"message" => "An account already exists for that e-mail address."
),
"email" => array(
"rule" => array(
"email",
true
),
"message" => "You must enter a valid e-mail address"
)
),
"existing_password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkExistingPassword"
),
"message" => "The password you entered is not correct"
),
"password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"8"
),
"message" => "Your password must be at least 8 characters long"
),
"password2" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkPasswordMatch"
),
"message" => "The passwords you entered do not match"
)
)
Author::$useDbConfig = "default"
Author::$useTable = "authors"
Author::$displayField = "name"
Author::$id = NULL
Author::$data = array()
Author::$table = "authors"
Author::$primaryKey = "id"
Author::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"name" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"biography" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"copyright_notice" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"email_address" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
),
"username" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"password" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
)
)
Author::$validationErrors = array()
Author::$tablePrefix = NULL
Author::$alias = "Author"
Author::$tableToModel = array(
"authors" => "Author"
)
Author::$logTransactions = false
Author::$transactional = false
Author::$cacheQueries = false
Author::$belongsTo = array()
Author::$hasOne = array()
Author::$hasMany = array()
Author::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Author::$actsAs = NULL
Author::$behaviors = array()
Author::$whitelist = array()
Author::$cacheSources = true
Author::$findQueryType = NULL
Author::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Author::$recursive = 1
Author::$order = NULL
Author::$__exists = NULL
Author::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Author::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Author::$__backAssociation = array()
Author::$__insertID = NULL
Author::$__numRows = NULL
Author::$__affectedRows = NULL
Author::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
Author::deleteAll()
Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
Author::findAll()
Author::execute()
Author::findCount()
Author::isUnique()
Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
Author::getAffectedRows()
Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
Author::beforeFind()
Author::afterFind()
Author::beforeSave()
Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
Author::cakeError()
Sermon::beforeSave()
Sermon::afterFind()
Sermon::call__()
Sermon::bind()
Sermon::bindModel()
Sermon::unbindModel()
Sermon::setSource()
Sermon::set()
Sermon::deconstruct()
Sermon::schema()
Sermon::loadInfo()
Sermon::getColumnTypes()
Sermon::getColumnType()
Sermon::hasField()
Sermon::create()
Sermon::read()
Sermon::field()
Sermon::saveField()
Sermon::save()
Sermon::updateCounterCache()
Sermon::saveAll()
Sermon::updateAll()
Sermon::remove()
Sermon::del()
Sermon::delete()
Sermon::deleteAll()
Sermon::exists()
Sermon::hasAny()
Sermon::find()
Sermon::findAll()
Sermon::execute()
Sermon::findCount()
Sermon::isUnique()
Sermon::findAllThreaded()
Sermon::findNeighbours()
Sermon::query()
Sermon::validates()
Sermon::invalidFields()
Sermon::invalidate()
Sermon::isForeignKey()
Sermon::getDisplayField()
Sermon::generateList()
Sermon::escapeField()
Sermon::getID()
Sermon::normalizeFindParams()
Sermon::getLastInsertID()
Sermon::getInsertID()
Sermon::setInsertID()
Sermon::getNumRows()
Sermon::getAffectedRows()
Sermon::setDataSource()
Sermon::getDataSource()
Sermon::getAssociated()
Sermon::joinModel()
Sermon::beforeFind()
Sermon::afterSave()
Sermon::beforeDelete()
Sermon::afterDelete()
Sermon::beforeValidate()
Sermon::onError()
Sermon::overload()
Sermon::Object()
Sermon::toString()
Sermon::requestAction()
Sermon::log()
Sermon::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Teaching = Teaching
Teaching::$name = "Teaching"
Teaching::$belongsTo = array(
"Author" => array(
"foreignKey" => "author_id",
"className" => "Author",
"conditions" => "[empty string]",
"fields" => "[empty string]",
"order" => "[empty string]",
"counterCache" => "[empty string]"
)
)
Teaching::$useDbConfig = "default"
Teaching::$useTable = "teachings"
Teaching::$displayField = "title"
Teaching::$id = false
Teaching::$data = array()
Teaching::$table = "teachings"
Teaching::$primaryKey = "id"
Teaching::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"title" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 200,
"key" => "index"
),
"author_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 5
),
"scripture_start_book" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_start_chapter" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_start_verse" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_book" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_chapter" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_verse" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"description" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"teaching" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null,
"key" => "index"
),
"date_authored" => array(
"type" => "date",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"keywords" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"featured" => array(
"type" => "boolean",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 1
),
"status" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => "awaiting_approval",
"length" => 40
),
"created" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"modified" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
)
)
Teaching::$validate = array()
Teaching::$validationErrors = array()
Teaching::$tablePrefix = NULL
Teaching::$alias = "Teaching"
Teaching::$tableToModel = array(
"teachings" => "Teaching",
"authors" => "Author"
)
Teaching::$logTransactions = false
Teaching::$transactional = false
Teaching::$cacheQueries = false
Teaching::$hasOne = array()
Teaching::$hasMany = array()
Teaching::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Teaching::$actsAs = NULL
Teaching::$behaviors = array()
Teaching::$whitelist = array()
Teaching::$cacheSources = true
Teaching::$findQueryType = NULL
Teaching::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Teaching::$recursive = 1
Teaching::$order = NULL
Teaching::$__exists = NULL
Teaching::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Teaching::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Teaching::$__backAssociation = array()
Teaching::$__insertID = NULL
Teaching::$__numRows = NULL
Teaching::$__affectedRows = NULL
Teaching::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Teaching::$_log = NULL
Teaching::$Author = Author
Author::$name = "Author"
Author::$validate = array(
"name" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"1"
),
"message" => "This field is required"
),
"email_address" => array(
"checkUniquity" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkEmailUniquity"
),
"on" => "create",
"message" => "An account already exists for that e-mail address."
),
"email" => array(
"rule" => array(
"email",
true
),
"message" => "You must enter a valid e-mail address"
)
),
"existing_password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkExistingPassword"
),
"message" => "The password you entered is not correct"
),
"password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"8"
),
"message" => "Your password must be at least 8 characters long"
),
"password2" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkPasswordMatch"
),
"message" => "The passwords you entered do not match"
)
)
Author::$useDbConfig = "default"
Author::$useTable = "authors"
Author::$displayField = "name"
Author::$id = NULL
Author::$data = array()
Author::$table = "authors"
Author::$primaryKey = "id"
Author::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"name" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"biography" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"copyright_notice" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"email_address" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
),
"username" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"password" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
)
)
Author::$validationErrors = array()
Author::$tablePrefix = NULL
Author::$alias = "Author"
Author::$tableToModel = array(
"authors" => "Author"
)
Author::$logTransactions = false
Author::$transactional = false
Author::$cacheQueries = false
Author::$belongsTo = array()
Author::$hasOne = array()
Author::$hasMany = array()
Author::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Author::$actsAs = NULL
Author::$behaviors = array()
Author::$whitelist = array()
Author::$cacheSources = true
Author::$findQueryType = NULL
Author::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Author::$recursive = 1
Author::$order = NULL
Author::$__exists = NULL
Author::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Author::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Author::$__backAssociation = array()
Author::$__insertID = NULL
Author::$__numRows = NULL
Author::$__affectedRows = NULL
Author::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
Author::deleteAll()
Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
Author::findAll()
Author::execute()
Author::findCount()
Author::isUnique()
Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
Author::getAffectedRows()
Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
Author::beforeFind()
Author::afterFind()
Author::beforeSave()
Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
Author::cakeError()
Teaching::beforeSave()
Teaching::afterFind()
Teaching::call__()
Teaching::bind()
Teaching::bindModel()
Teaching::unbindModel()
Teaching::setSource()
Teaching::set()
Teaching::deconstruct()
Teaching::schema()
Teaching::loadInfo()
Teaching::getColumnTypes()
Teaching::getColumnType()
Teaching::hasField()
Teaching::create()
Teaching::read()
Teaching::field()
Teaching::saveField()
Teaching::save()
Teaching::updateCounterCache()
Teaching::saveAll()
Teaching::updateAll()
Teaching::remove()
Teaching::del()
Teaching::delete()
Teaching::deleteAll()
Teaching::exists()
Teaching::hasAny()
Teaching::find()
Teaching::findAll()
Teaching::execute()
Teaching::findCount()
Teaching::isUnique()
Teaching::findAllThreaded()
Teaching::findNeighbours()
Teaching::query()
Teaching::validates()
Teaching::invalidFields()
Teaching::invalidate()
Teaching::isForeignKey()
Teaching::getDisplayField()
Teaching::generateList()
Teaching::escapeField()
Teaching::getID()
Teaching::normalizeFindParams()
Teaching::getLastInsertID()
Teaching::getInsertID()
Teaching::setInsertID()
Teaching::getNumRows()
Teaching::getAffectedRows()
Teaching::setDataSource()
Teaching::getDataSource()
Teaching::getAssociated()
Teaching::joinModel()
Teaching::beforeFind()
Teaching::afterSave()
Teaching::beforeDelete()
Teaching::afterDelete()
Teaching::beforeValidate()
Teaching::onError()
Teaching::overload()
Teaching::Object()
Teaching::toString()
Teaching::requestAction()
Teaching::log()
Teaching::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Apologetic = Apologetic
Apologetic::$name = "Apologetic"
Apologetic::$belongsTo = array(
"Author" => array(
"foreignKey" => "author_id",
"className" => "Author",
"conditions" => "[empty string]",
"fields" => "[empty string]",
"order" => "[empty string]",
"counterCache" => "[empty string]"
)
)
Apologetic::$useDbConfig = "default"
Apologetic::$useTable = "apologetics"
Apologetic::$displayField = "title"
Apologetic::$id = false
Apologetic::$data = array()
Apologetic::$table = "apologetics"
Apologetic::$primaryKey = "id"
Apologetic::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"title" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 200,
"key" => "index"
),
"author_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 5
),
"description" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"apologetic" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null,
"key" => "index"
),
"date_authored" => array(
"type" => "date",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"keywords" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"featured" => array(
"type" => "boolean",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 1
),
"status" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => "awaiting_approval",
"length" => 40
),
"created" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"modified" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
)
)
Apologetic::$validate = array()
Apologetic::$validationErrors = array()
Apologetic::$tablePrefix = NULL
Apologetic::$alias = "Apologetic"
Apologetic::$tableToModel = array(
"apologetics" => "Apologetic",
"authors" => "Author"
)
Apologetic::$logTransactions = false
Apologetic::$transactional = false
Apologetic::$cacheQueries = false
Apologetic::$hasOne = array()
Apologetic::$hasMany = array()
Apologetic::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Apologetic::$actsAs = NULL
Apologetic::$behaviors = array()
Apologetic::$whitelist = array()
Apologetic::$cacheSources = true
Apologetic::$findQueryType = NULL
Apologetic::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Apologetic::$recursive = 1
Apologetic::$order = NULL
Apologetic::$__exists = NULL
Apologetic::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Apologetic::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Apologetic::$__backAssociation = array()
Apologetic::$__insertID = NULL
Apologetic::$__numRows = NULL
Apologetic::$__affectedRows = NULL
Apologetic::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Apologetic::$_log = NULL
Apologetic::$Author = Author
Author::$name = "Author"
Author::$validate = array(
"name" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"1"
),
"message" => "This field is required"
),
"email_address" => array(
"checkUniquity" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkEmailUniquity"
),
"on" => "create",
"message" => "An account already exists for that e-mail address."
),
"email" => array(
"rule" => array(
"email",
true
),
"message" => "You must enter a valid e-mail address"
)
),
"existing_password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkExistingPassword"
),
"message" => "The password you entered is not correct"
),
"password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"8"
),
"message" => "Your password must be at least 8 characters long"
),
"password2" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkPasswordMatch"
),
"message" => "The passwords you entered do not match"
)
)
Author::$useDbConfig = "default"
Author::$useTable = "authors"
Author::$displayField = "name"
Author::$id = NULL
Author::$data = array()
Author::$table = "authors"
Author::$primaryKey = "id"
Author::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"name" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"biography" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"copyright_notice" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"email_address" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
),
"username" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"password" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
)
)
Author::$validationErrors = array()
Author::$tablePrefix = NULL
Author::$alias = "Author"
Author::$tableToModel = array(
"authors" => "Author"
)
Author::$logTransactions = false
Author::$transactional = false
Author::$cacheQueries = false
Author::$belongsTo = array()
Author::$hasOne = array()
Author::$hasMany = array()
Author::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Author::$actsAs = NULL
Author::$behaviors = array()
Author::$whitelist = array()
Author::$cacheSources = true
Author::$findQueryType = NULL
Author::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Author::$recursive = 1
Author::$order = NULL
Author::$__exists = NULL
Author::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Author::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Author::$__backAssociation = array()
Author::$__insertID = NULL
Author::$__numRows = NULL
Author::$__affectedRows = NULL
Author::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
Author::deleteAll()
Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
Author::findAll()
Author::execute()
Author::findCount()
Author::isUnique()
Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
Author::getAffectedRows()
Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
Author::beforeFind()
Author::afterFind()
Author::beforeSave()
Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
Author::cakeError()
Apologetic::beforeSave()
Apologetic::afterFind()
Apologetic::call__()
Apologetic::bind()
Apologetic::bindModel()
Apologetic::unbindModel()
Apologetic::setSource()
Apologetic::set()
Apologetic::deconstruct()
Apologetic::schema()
Apologetic::loadInfo()
Apologetic::getColumnTypes()
Apologetic::getColumnType()
Apologetic::hasField()
Apologetic::create()
Apologetic::read()
Apologetic::field()
Apologetic::saveField()
Apologetic::save()
Apologetic::updateCounterCache()
Apologetic::saveAll()
Apologetic::updateAll()
Apologetic::remove()
Apologetic::del()
Apologetic::delete()
Apologetic::deleteAll()
Apologetic::exists()
Apologetic::hasAny()
Apologetic::find()
Apologetic::findAll()
Apologetic::execute()
Apologetic::findCount()
Apologetic::isUnique()
Apologetic::findAllThreaded()
Apologetic::findNeighbours()
Apologetic::query()
Apologetic::validates()
Apologetic::invalidFields()
Apologetic::invalidate()
Apologetic::isForeignKey()
Apologetic::getDisplayField()
Apologetic::generateList()
Apologetic::escapeField()
Apologetic::getID()
Apologetic::normalizeFindParams()
Apologetic::getLastInsertID()
Apologetic::getInsertID()
Apologetic::setInsertID()
Apologetic::getNumRows()
Apologetic::getAffectedRows()
Apologetic::setDataSource()
Apologetic::getDataSource()
Apologetic::getAssociated()
Apologetic::joinModel()
Apologetic::beforeFind()
Apologetic::afterSave()
Apologetic::beforeDelete()
Apologetic::afterDelete()
Apologetic::beforeValidate()
Apologetic::onError()
Apologetic::overload()
Apologetic::Object()
Apologetic::toString()
Apologetic::requestAction()
Apologetic::log()
Apologetic::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Keyword = Keyword
Keyword::$name = "Keyword"
Keyword::$useDbConfig = "default"
Keyword::$useTable = "keywords"
Keyword::$displayField = "id"
Keyword::$id = NULL
Keyword::$data = array()
Keyword::$table = "keywords"
Keyword::$primaryKey = "id"
Keyword::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"keyword" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 100
)
)
Keyword::$validate = array()
Keyword::$validationErrors = array()
Keyword::$tablePrefix = NULL
Keyword::$alias = "Keyword"
Keyword::$tableToModel = array(
"keywords" => "Keyword"
)
Keyword::$logTransactions = false
Keyword::$transactional = false
Keyword::$cacheQueries = false
Keyword::$belongsTo = array()
Keyword::$hasOne = array()
Keyword::$hasMany = array()
Keyword::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Keyword::$actsAs = NULL
Keyword::$behaviors = array()
Keyword::$whitelist = array()
Keyword::$cacheSources = true
Keyword::$findQueryType = NULL
Keyword::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Keyword::$recursive = 1
Keyword::$order = NULL
Keyword::$__exists = NULL
Keyword::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Keyword::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Keyword::$__backAssociation = array()
Keyword::$__insertID = NULL
Keyword::$__numRows = NULL
Keyword::$__affectedRows = NULL
Keyword::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Keyword::$_log = NULL
Keyword::call__()
Keyword::bind()
Keyword::bindModel()
Keyword::unbindModel()
Keyword::setSource()
Keyword::set()
Keyword::deconstruct()
Keyword::schema()
Keyword::loadInfo()
Keyword::getColumnTypes()
Keyword::getColumnType()
Keyword::hasField()
Keyword::create()
Keyword::read()
Keyword::field()
Keyword::saveField()
Keyword::save()
Keyword::updateCounterCache()
Keyword::saveAll()
Keyword::updateAll()
Keyword::remove()
Keyword::del()
Keyword::delete()
Keyword::deleteAll()
Keyword::exists()
Keyword::hasAny()
Keyword::find()
Keyword::findAll()
Keyword::execute()
Keyword::findCount()
Keyword::isUnique()
Keyword::findAllThreaded()
Keyword::findNeighbours()
Keyword::query()
Keyword::validates()
Keyword::invalidFields()
Keyword::invalidate()
Keyword::isForeignKey()
Keyword::getDisplayField()
Keyword::generateList()
Keyword::escapeField()
Keyword::getID()
Keyword::normalizeFindParams()
Keyword::getLastInsertID()
Keyword::getInsertID()
Keyword::setInsertID()
Keyword::getNumRows()
Keyword::getAffectedRows()
Keyword::setDataSource()
Keyword::getDataSource()
Keyword::getAssociated()
Keyword::joinModel()
Keyword::beforeFind()
Keyword::afterFind()
Keyword::beforeSave()
Keyword::afterSave()
Keyword::beforeDelete()
Keyword::afterDelete()
Keyword::beforeValidate()
Keyword::onError()
Keyword::overload()
Keyword::Object()
Keyword::toString()
Keyword::requestAction()
Keyword::log()
Keyword::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$KeywordIndex = KeywordIndex
KeywordIndex::$name = "KeywordIndex"
KeywordIndex::$useTable = "keyword_index"
KeywordIndex::$useDbConfig = "default"
KeywordIndex::$displayField = "id"
KeywordIndex::$id = NULL
KeywordIndex::$data = array()
KeywordIndex::$table = "keyword_index"
KeywordIndex::$primaryKey = "id"
KeywordIndex::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"keyword_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5
),
"resource_type" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 20
),
"resource_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5
)
)
KeywordIndex::$validate = array()
KeywordIndex::$validationErrors = array()
KeywordIndex::$tablePrefix = NULL
KeywordIndex::$alias = "KeywordIndex"
KeywordIndex::$tableToModel = array(
"keyword_index" => "KeywordIndex"
)
KeywordIndex::$logTransactions = false
KeywordIndex::$transactional = false
KeywordIndex::$cacheQueries = false
KeywordIndex::$belongsTo = array()
KeywordIndex::$hasOne = array()
KeywordIndex::$hasMany = array()
KeywordIndex::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
KeywordIndex::$actsAs = NULL
KeywordIndex::$behaviors = array()
KeywordIndex::$whitelist = array()
KeywordIndex::$cacheSources = true
KeywordIndex::$findQueryType = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__behaviorMethods = array()
KeywordIndex::$recursive = 1
KeywordIndex::$order = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__exists = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
KeywordIndex::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
KeywordIndex::$__backAssociation = array()
KeywordIndex::$__insertID = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__numRows = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__affectedRows = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
KeywordIndex::$_log = NULL
KeywordIndex::call__()
KeywordIndex::bind()
KeywordIndex::bindModel()
KeywordIndex::unbindModel()
KeywordIndex::setSource()
KeywordIndex::set()
KeywordIndex::deconstruct()
KeywordIndex::schema()
KeywordIndex::loadInfo()
KeywordIndex::getColumnTypes()
KeywordIndex::getColumnType()
KeywordIndex::hasField()
KeywordIndex::create()
KeywordIndex::read()
KeywordIndex::field()
KeywordIndex::saveField()
KeywordIndex::save()
KeywordIndex::updateCounterCache()
KeywordIndex::saveAll()
KeywordIndex::updateAll()
KeywordIndex::remove()
KeywordIndex::del()
KeywordIndex::delete()
KeywordIndex::deleteAll()
KeywordIndex::exists()
KeywordIndex::hasAny()
KeywordIndex::find()
KeywordIndex::findAll()
KeywordIndex::execute()
KeywordIndex::findCount()
KeywordIndex::isUnique()
KeywordIndex::findAllThreaded()
KeywordIndex::findNeighbours()
KeywordIndex::query()
KeywordIndex::validates()
KeywordIndex::invalidFields()
KeywordIndex::invalidate()
KeywordIndex::isForeignKey()
KeywordIndex::getDisplayField()
KeywordIndex::generateList()
KeywordIndex::escapeField()
KeywordIndex::getID()
KeywordIndex::normalizeFindParams()
KeywordIndex::getLastInsertID()
KeywordIndex::getInsertID()
KeywordIndex::setInsertID()
KeywordIndex::getNumRows()
KeywordIndex::getAffectedRows()
KeywordIndex::setDataSource()
KeywordIndex::getDataSource()
KeywordIndex::getAssociated()
KeywordIndex::joinModel()
KeywordIndex::beforeFind()
KeywordIndex::afterFind()
KeywordIndex::beforeSave()
KeywordIndex::afterSave()
KeywordIndex::beforeDelete()
KeywordIndex::afterDelete()
KeywordIndex::beforeValidate()
KeywordIndex::onError()
KeywordIndex::overload()
KeywordIndex::Object()
KeywordIndex::toString()
KeywordIndex::requestAction()
KeywordIndex::log()
KeywordIndex::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Bibliopedia = Bibliopedia
Bibliopedia::$name = "Bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$useTable = "bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$order = "Bibliopedia.term ASC"
Bibliopedia::$useDbConfig = "default"
Bibliopedia::$displayField = "id"
Bibliopedia::$id = NULL
Bibliopedia::$data = array()
Bibliopedia::$table = "bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$primaryKey = "id"
Bibliopedia::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"term" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => 100
),
"definition" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"first_letter" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => 1
),
"status" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 40
),
"created" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"modified" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
)
)
Bibliopedia::$validate = array()
Bibliopedia::$validationErrors = array()
Bibliopedia::$tablePrefix = NULL
Bibliopedia::$alias = "Bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$tableToModel = array(
"bibliopedia" => "Bibliopedia"
)
Bibliopedia::$logTransactions = false
Bibliopedia::$transactional = false
Bibliopedia::$cacheQueries = false
Bibliopedia::$belongsTo = array()
Bibliopedia::$hasOne = array()
Bibliopedia::$hasMany = array()
Bibliopedia::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Bibliopedia::$actsAs = NULL
Bibliopedia::$behaviors = array()
Bibliopedia::$whitelist = array()
Bibliopedia::$cacheSources = true
Bibliopedia::$findQueryType = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Bibliopedia::$recursive = 1
Bibliopedia::$__exists = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Bibliopedia::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Bibliopedia::$__backAssociation = array()
Bibliopedia::$__insertID = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__numRows = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__affectedRows = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Bibliopedia::$_log = NULL
Bibliopedia::call__()
Bibliopedia::bind()
Bibliopedia::bindModel()
Bibliopedia::unbindModel()
Bibliopedia::setSource()
Bibliopedia::set()
Bibliopedia::deconstruct()
Bibliopedia::schema()
Bibliopedia::loadInfo()
Bibliopedia::getColumnTypes()
Bibliopedia::getColumnType()
Bibliopedia::hasField()
Bibliopedia::create()
Bibliopedia::read()
Bibliopedia::field()
Bibliopedia::saveField()
Bibliopedia::save()
Bibliopedia::updateCounterCache()
Bibliopedia::saveAll()
Bibliopedia::updateAll()
Bibliopedia::remove()
Bibliopedia::del()
Bibliopedia::delete()
Bibliopedia::deleteAll()
Bibliopedia::exists()
Bibliopedia::hasAny()
Bibliopedia::find()
Bibliopedia::findAll()
Bibliopedia::execute()
Bibliopedia::findCount()
Bibliopedia::isUnique()
Bibliopedia::findAllThreaded()
Bibliopedia::findNeighbours()
Bibliopedia::query()
Bibliopedia::validates()
Bibliopedia::invalidFields()
Bibliopedia::invalidate()
Bibliopedia::isForeignKey()
Bibliopedia::getDisplayField()
Bibliopedia::generateList()
Bibliopedia::escapeField()
Bibliopedia::getID()
Bibliopedia::normalizeFindParams()
Bibliopedia::getLastInsertID()
Bibliopedia::getInsertID()
Bibliopedia::setInsertID()
Bibliopedia::getNumRows()
Bibliopedia::getAffectedRows()
Bibliopedia::setDataSource()
Bibliopedia::getDataSource()
Bibliopedia::getAssociated()
Bibliopedia::joinModel()
Bibliopedia::beforeFind()
Bibliopedia::afterFind()
Bibliopedia::beforeSave()
Bibliopedia::afterSave()
Bibliopedia::beforeDelete()
Bibliopedia::afterDelete()
Bibliopedia::beforeValidate()
Bibliopedia::onError()
Bibliopedia::overload()
Bibliopedia::Object()
Bibliopedia::toString()
Bibliopedia::requestAction()
Bibliopedia::log()
Bibliopedia::cakeError()
AuthorsController::view()
AuthorsController::create()
AuthorsController::edit()
AuthorsController::biography()
AuthorsController::submitTerm()
AuthorsController::submit()
AuthorsController::home()
AuthorsController::login()
AuthorsController::logout()
AuthorsController::admin_review()
AuthorsController::admin_reviewTerm()
AuthorsController::beforeFilter()
AuthorsController::checkSession()
AuthorsController::checkPermission()
AuthorsController::error()
AuthorsController::constructClasses()
AuthorsController::loadModel()
AuthorsController::redirect()
AuthorsController::set()
AuthorsController::setAction()
AuthorsController::isAuthorized()
AuthorsController::validate()
AuthorsController::validateErrors()
AuthorsController::render()
AuthorsController::referer()
AuthorsController::disableCache()
AuthorsController::flash()
AuthorsController::postConditions()
AuthorsController::cleanUpFields()
AuthorsController::paginate()
AuthorsController::beforeRender()
AuthorsController::afterFilter()
AuthorsController::Object()
AuthorsController::toString()
AuthorsController::requestAction()
AuthorsController::log()
AuthorsController::cakeError()
View::$loaded = array(
"html" => HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError(),
"form" => FormHelper
FormHelper::$helpers = array(
"Html"
)
FormHelper::$fieldset = array(
"fields" => array(),
"key" => "id",
"validates" => array()
)
FormHelper::$__options = array(
"day" => array(),
"minute" => array(),
"hour" => array(),
"month" => array(),
"year" => array(),
"meridian" => array()
)
FormHelper::$fields = array()
FormHelper::$requestType = NULL
FormHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
FormHelper::$webroot = "/"
FormHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
FormHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
FormHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
FormHelper::$action = "view"
FormHelper::$plugin = NULL
FormHelper::$data = NULL
FormHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
FormHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
FormHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
FormHelper::$tags = array()
FormHelper::$__tainted = NULL
FormHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
FormHelper::$_log = NULL
FormHelper::$Html = HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError()
FormHelper::create()
FormHelper::end()
FormHelper::secure()
FormHelper::isFieldError()
FormHelper::error()
FormHelper::label()
FormHelper::inputs()
FormHelper::input()
FormHelper::checkbox()
FormHelper::radio()
FormHelper::text()
FormHelper::password()
FormHelper::textarea()
FormHelper::hidden()
FormHelper::file()
FormHelper::button()
FormHelper::submit()
FormHelper::submitImage()
FormHelper::select()
FormHelper::day()
FormHelper::year()
FormHelper::month()
FormHelper::hour()
FormHelper::minute()
FormHelper::meridian()
FormHelper::dateTime()
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"description" => "Many people, whether they are seekers or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world. Despite their doubts, one fact comes through loud and clear, that is, God prevails upon creation! If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe, He certainly guides and controls it.",
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
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<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
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<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
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<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
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<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
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"created" => "2009-03-18 12:51:46",
"modified" => "2012-04-21 08:24:02"
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"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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array(
"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "203",
"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "2",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_start_verse" => "17",
"scripture_end_book" => "2",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_end_verse" => "34",
"description" => "[empty string]",
"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
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"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
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HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
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HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
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"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError()
FormHelper::create()
FormHelper::end()
FormHelper::secure()
FormHelper::isFieldError()
FormHelper::error()
FormHelper::label()
FormHelper::inputs()
FormHelper::input()
FormHelper::checkbox()
FormHelper::radio()
FormHelper::text()
FormHelper::password()
FormHelper::textarea()
FormHelper::hidden()
FormHelper::file()
FormHelper::button()
FormHelper::submit()
FormHelper::submitImage()
FormHelper::select()
FormHelper::day()
FormHelper::year()
FormHelper::month()
FormHelper::hour()
FormHelper::minute()
FormHelper::meridian()
FormHelper::dateTime()
FormHelper::get__()
FormHelper::set__()
FormHelper::call__()
FormHelper::loadConfig()
FormHelper::url()
FormHelper::webroot()
FormHelper::clean()
FormHelper::setFormTag()
FormHelper::setEntity()
FormHelper::model()
FormHelper::modelID()
FormHelper::field()
FormHelper::tagIsInvalid()
FormHelper::domId()
FormHelper::value()
FormHelper::addClass()
FormHelper::output()
FormHelper::assign()
FormHelper::beforeRender()
FormHelper::afterRender()
FormHelper::beforeLayout()
FormHelper::afterLayout()
FormHelper::overload()
FormHelper::Object()
FormHelper::toString()
FormHelper::requestAction()
FormHelper::log()
FormHelper::cakeError(),
"Session" => SessionHelper
SessionHelper::$helpers = NULL
SessionHelper::$__active = true
SessionHelper::$valid = false
SessionHelper::$error = false
SessionHelper::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionHelper::$path = false
SessionHelper::$lastError = NULL
SessionHelper::$security = NULL
SessionHelper::$time = 1337368928
SessionHelper::$sessionTime = false
SessionHelper::$watchKeys = array()
SessionHelper::$id = NULL
SessionHelper::$_log = NULL
SessionHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
SessionHelper::$webroot = "/"
SessionHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
SessionHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
SessionHelper::$action = "view"
SessionHelper::$data = NULL
SessionHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
SessionHelper::$plugin = NULL
SessionHelper::activate()
SessionHelper::read()
SessionHelper::check()
SessionHelper::error()
SessionHelper::flash()
SessionHelper::valid()
SessionHelper::write()
SessionHelper::id()
SessionHelper::start()
SessionHelper::started()
SessionHelper::del()
SessionHelper::watch()
SessionHelper::ignore()
SessionHelper::destroy()
SessionHelper::renew()
SessionHelper::Object()
SessionHelper::toString()
SessionHelper::requestAction()
SessionHelper::log()
SessionHelper::cakeError()
)
$helper = SessionHelper
SessionHelper::$helpers = NULL
SessionHelper::$__active = true
SessionHelper::$valid = false
SessionHelper::$error = false
SessionHelper::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionHelper::$path = false
SessionHelper::$lastError = NULL
SessionHelper::$security = NULL
SessionHelper::$time = 1337368928
SessionHelper::$sessionTime = false
SessionHelper::$watchKeys = array()
SessionHelper::$id = NULL
SessionHelper::$_log = NULL
SessionHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
SessionHelper::$webroot = "/"
SessionHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
SessionHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
SessionHelper::$action = "view"
SessionHelper::$data = NULL
SessionHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
SessionHelper::$plugin = NULL
SessionHelper::activate()
SessionHelper::read()
SessionHelper::check()
SessionHelper::error()
SessionHelper::flash()
SessionHelper::valid()
SessionHelper::write()
SessionHelper::id()
SessionHelper::start()
SessionHelper::started()
SessionHelper::del()
SessionHelper::watch()
SessionHelper::ignore()
SessionHelper::destroy()
SessionHelper::renew()
SessionHelper::Object()
SessionHelper::toString()
SessionHelper::requestAction()
SessionHelper::log()
SessionHelper::cakeError()
$camelBackedHelper = "session"
$html = HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError()
$form = FormHelper
FormHelper::$helpers = array(
"Html"
)
FormHelper::$fieldset = array(
"fields" => array(),
"key" => "id",
"validates" => array()
)
FormHelper::$__options = array(
"day" => array(),
"minute" => array(),
"hour" => array(),
"month" => array(),
"year" => array(),
"meridian" => array()
)
FormHelper::$fields = array()
FormHelper::$requestType = NULL
FormHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
FormHelper::$webroot = "/"
FormHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
FormHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
FormHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
FormHelper::$action = "view"
FormHelper::$plugin = NULL
FormHelper::$data = NULL
FormHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
FormHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
FormHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
FormHelper::$tags = array()
FormHelper::$__tainted = NULL
FormHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
FormHelper::$_log = NULL
FormHelper::$Html = HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError()
FormHelper::create()
FormHelper::end()
FormHelper::secure()
FormHelper::isFieldError()
FormHelper::error()
FormHelper::label()
FormHelper::inputs()
FormHelper::input()
FormHelper::checkbox()
FormHelper::radio()
FormHelper::text()
FormHelper::password()
FormHelper::textarea()
FormHelper::hidden()
FormHelper::file()
FormHelper::button()
FormHelper::submit()
FormHelper::submitImage()
FormHelper::select()
FormHelper::day()
FormHelper::year()
FormHelper::month()
FormHelper::hour()
FormHelper::minute()
FormHelper::meridian()
FormHelper::dateTime()
FormHelper::get__()
FormHelper::set__()
FormHelper::call__()
FormHelper::loadConfig()
FormHelper::url()
FormHelper::webroot()
FormHelper::clean()
FormHelper::setFormTag()
FormHelper::setEntity()
FormHelper::model()
FormHelper::modelID()
FormHelper::field()
FormHelper::tagIsInvalid()
FormHelper::domId()
FormHelper::value()
FormHelper::addClass()
FormHelper::output()
FormHelper::assign()
FormHelper::beforeRender()
FormHelper::afterRender()
FormHelper::beforeLayout()
FormHelper::afterLayout()
FormHelper::overload()
FormHelper::Object()
FormHelper::toString()
FormHelper::requestAction()
FormHelper::log()
FormHelper::cakeError()
$session = SessionHelper
SessionHelper::$helpers = NULL
SessionHelper::$__active = true
SessionHelper::$valid = false
SessionHelper::$error = false
SessionHelper::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionHelper::$path = false
SessionHelper::$lastError = NULL
SessionHelper::$security = NULL
SessionHelper::$time = 1337368928
SessionHelper::$sessionTime = false
SessionHelper::$watchKeys = array()
SessionHelper::$id = NULL
SessionHelper::$_log = NULL
SessionHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
SessionHelper::$webroot = "/"
SessionHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
SessionHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
SessionHelper::$action = "view"
SessionHelper::$data = NULL
SessionHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
SessionHelper::$plugin = NULL
SessionHelper::activate()
SessionHelper::read()
SessionHelper::check()
SessionHelper::error()
SessionHelper::flash()
SessionHelper::valid()
SessionHelper::write()
SessionHelper::id()
SessionHelper::start()
SessionHelper::started()
SessionHelper::del()
SessionHelper::watch()
SessionHelper::ignore()
SessionHelper::destroy()
SessionHelper::renew()
SessionHelper::Object()
SessionHelper::toString()
SessionHelper::requestAction()
SessionHelper::log()
SessionHelper::cakeError()
$biblebooks = array(
"Genesis",
"Exodus",
"Leviticus",
"Numbers",
"Deuteronomy",
"Joshua",
"Judges",
"Ruth",
"1 Samuel",
"2 Samuel",
"1 Kings",
"2 Kings",
"1 Chronicles",
"2 Chronicles",
"Ezra",
"Nehemiah",
"Esther",
"Job",
"Psalms",
"Proverbs",
"Ecclesiastes",
"Song of Solomon",
"Isaiah",
"Jeremiah",
"Lamentations",
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"description" => "Many people, whether they are seekers or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world. Despite their doubts, one fact comes through loud and clear, that is, God prevails upon creation! If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe, He certainly guides and controls it.",
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
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<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
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<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
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<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
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<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
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<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
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<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
"date_authored" => "2009-03-18",
"keywords" => "a:1:{i:77;s:0:"";}",
"featured" => "1",
"status" => "approved",
"created" => "2009-03-18 12:51:46",
"modified" => "2012-04-21 08:24:02"
),
"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
"email_address" => "robertdpace@pulpittoday.com",
"username" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "efbfbca27c7a3ef684c0e1f993c3501a"
)
),
array(
"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "203",
"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "2",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_start_verse" => "17",
"scripture_end_book" => "2",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_end_verse" => "34",
"description" => "[empty string]",
"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
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The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
<o:p></o:p></em></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
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<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
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"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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array(
"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "203",
"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "2",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_start_verse" => "17",
"scripture_end_book" => "2",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_end_verse" => "34",
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"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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"description" => "Many people, whether they are seekers or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world. Despite their doubts, one fact comes through loud and clear, that is, God prevails upon creation! If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe, He certainly guides and controls it.",
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
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<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
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<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
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<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
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<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
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<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
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<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
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"keywords" => "a:1:{i:77;s:0:"";}",
"featured" => "1",
"status" => "approved",
"created" => "2009-03-18 12:51:46",
"modified" => "2012-04-21 08:24:02"
),
"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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"username" => "[empty string]",
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),
array(
"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "203",
"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "2",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_start_verse" => "17",
"scripture_end_book" => "2",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_end_verse" => "34",
"description" => "[empty string]",
"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
"date_authored" => "2012-05-03",
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"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
"email_address" => "robertdpace@pulpittoday.com",
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AuthorsController::$autoLayout = true
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AuthorsController::$webservices = NULL
AuthorsController::$passedArgs = array()
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SessionComponent::$__started = true
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SessionComponent::$valid = true
SessionComponent::$error = array(
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SessionComponent::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
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SessionComponent::started()
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Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
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Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
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Author::findCount()
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Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
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Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
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Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
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AuthorsController::$Sermon = Sermon
Sermon::$name = "Sermon"
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Sermon::$Author = Author
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),
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true
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"password" => array(
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"password2" => array(
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"password" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
)
)
Author::$validationErrors = array()
Author::$tablePrefix = NULL
Author::$alias = "Author"
Author::$tableToModel = array(
"authors" => "Author"
)
Author::$logTransactions = false
Author::$transactional = false
Author::$cacheQueries = false
Author::$belongsTo = array()
Author::$hasOne = array()
Author::$hasMany = array()
Author::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Author::$actsAs = NULL
Author::$behaviors = array()
Author::$whitelist = array()
Author::$cacheSources = true
Author::$findQueryType = NULL
Author::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Author::$recursive = 1
Author::$order = NULL
Author::$__exists = NULL
Author::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Author::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Author::$__backAssociation = array()
Author::$__insertID = NULL
Author::$__numRows = NULL
Author::$__affectedRows = NULL
Author::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
Author::deleteAll()
Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
Author::findAll()
Author::execute()
Author::findCount()
Author::isUnique()
Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
Author::getAffectedRows()
Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
Author::beforeFind()
Author::afterFind()
Author::beforeSave()
Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
Author::cakeError()
Sermon::beforeSave()
Sermon::afterFind()
Sermon::call__()
Sermon::bind()
Sermon::bindModel()
Sermon::unbindModel()
Sermon::setSource()
Sermon::set()
Sermon::deconstruct()
Sermon::schema()
Sermon::loadInfo()
Sermon::getColumnTypes()
Sermon::getColumnType()
Sermon::hasField()
Sermon::create()
Sermon::read()
Sermon::field()
Sermon::saveField()
Sermon::save()
Sermon::updateCounterCache()
Sermon::saveAll()
Sermon::updateAll()
Sermon::remove()
Sermon::del()
Sermon::delete()
Sermon::deleteAll()
Sermon::exists()
Sermon::hasAny()
Sermon::find()
Sermon::findAll()
Sermon::execute()
Sermon::findCount()
Sermon::isUnique()
Sermon::findAllThreaded()
Sermon::findNeighbours()
Sermon::query()
Sermon::validates()
Sermon::invalidFields()
Sermon::invalidate()
Sermon::isForeignKey()
Sermon::getDisplayField()
Sermon::generateList()
Sermon::escapeField()
Sermon::getID()
Sermon::normalizeFindParams()
Sermon::getLastInsertID()
Sermon::getInsertID()
Sermon::setInsertID()
Sermon::getNumRows()
Sermon::getAffectedRows()
Sermon::setDataSource()
Sermon::getDataSource()
Sermon::getAssociated()
Sermon::joinModel()
Sermon::beforeFind()
Sermon::afterSave()
Sermon::beforeDelete()
Sermon::afterDelete()
Sermon::beforeValidate()
Sermon::onError()
Sermon::overload()
Sermon::Object()
Sermon::toString()
Sermon::requestAction()
Sermon::log()
Sermon::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Teaching = Teaching
Teaching::$name = "Teaching"
Teaching::$belongsTo = array(
"Author" => array(
"foreignKey" => "author_id",
"className" => "Author",
"conditions" => "[empty string]",
"fields" => "[empty string]",
"order" => "[empty string]",
"counterCache" => "[empty string]"
)
)
Teaching::$useDbConfig = "default"
Teaching::$useTable = "teachings"
Teaching::$displayField = "title"
Teaching::$id = false
Teaching::$data = array()
Teaching::$table = "teachings"
Teaching::$primaryKey = "id"
Teaching::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"title" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 200,
"key" => "index"
),
"author_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 5
),
"scripture_start_book" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_start_chapter" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_start_verse" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_book" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_chapter" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_verse" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"description" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"teaching" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null,
"key" => "index"
),
"date_authored" => array(
"type" => "date",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"keywords" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"featured" => array(
"type" => "boolean",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 1
),
"status" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => "awaiting_approval",
"length" => 40
),
"created" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"modified" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
)
)
Teaching::$validate = array()
Teaching::$validationErrors = array()
Teaching::$tablePrefix = NULL
Teaching::$alias = "Teaching"
Teaching::$tableToModel = array(
"teachings" => "Teaching",
"authors" => "Author"
)
Teaching::$logTransactions = false
Teaching::$transactional = false
Teaching::$cacheQueries = false
Teaching::$hasOne = array()
Teaching::$hasMany = array()
Teaching::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Teaching::$actsAs = NULL
Teaching::$behaviors = array()
Teaching::$whitelist = array()
Teaching::$cacheSources = true
Teaching::$findQueryType = NULL
Teaching::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Teaching::$recursive = 1
Teaching::$order = NULL
Teaching::$__exists = NULL
Teaching::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Teaching::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Teaching::$__backAssociation = array()
Teaching::$__insertID = NULL
Teaching::$__numRows = NULL
Teaching::$__affectedRows = NULL
Teaching::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Teaching::$_log = NULL
Teaching::$Author = Author
Author::$name = "Author"
Author::$validate = array(
"name" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"1"
),
"message" => "This field is required"
),
"email_address" => array(
"checkUniquity" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkEmailUniquity"
),
"on" => "create",
"message" => "An account already exists for that e-mail address."
),
"email" => array(
"rule" => array(
"email",
true
),
"message" => "You must enter a valid e-mail address"
)
),
"existing_password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkExistingPassword"
),
"message" => "The password you entered is not correct"
),
"password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"8"
),
"message" => "Your password must be at least 8 characters long"
),
"password2" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkPasswordMatch"
),
"message" => "The passwords you entered do not match"
)
)
Author::$useDbConfig = "default"
Author::$useTable = "authors"
Author::$displayField = "name"
Author::$id = NULL
Author::$data = array()
Author::$table = "authors"
Author::$primaryKey = "id"
Author::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"name" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"biography" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"copyright_notice" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"email_address" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
),
"username" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"password" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
)
)
Author::$validationErrors = array()
Author::$tablePrefix = NULL
Author::$alias = "Author"
Author::$tableToModel = array(
"authors" => "Author"
)
Author::$logTransactions = false
Author::$transactional = false
Author::$cacheQueries = false
Author::$belongsTo = array()
Author::$hasOne = array()
Author::$hasMany = array()
Author::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Author::$actsAs = NULL
Author::$behaviors = array()
Author::$whitelist = array()
Author::$cacheSources = true
Author::$findQueryType = NULL
Author::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Author::$recursive = 1
Author::$order = NULL
Author::$__exists = NULL
Author::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Author::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Author::$__backAssociation = array()
Author::$__insertID = NULL
Author::$__numRows = NULL
Author::$__affectedRows = NULL
Author::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
Author::deleteAll()
Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
Author::findAll()
Author::execute()
Author::findCount()
Author::isUnique()
Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
Author::getAffectedRows()
Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
Author::beforeFind()
Author::afterFind()
Author::beforeSave()
Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
Author::cakeError()
Teaching::beforeSave()
Teaching::afterFind()
Teaching::call__()
Teaching::bind()
Teaching::bindModel()
Teaching::unbindModel()
Teaching::setSource()
Teaching::set()
Teaching::deconstruct()
Teaching::schema()
Teaching::loadInfo()
Teaching::getColumnTypes()
Teaching::getColumnType()
Teaching::hasField()
Teaching::create()
Teaching::read()
Teaching::field()
Teaching::saveField()
Teaching::save()
Teaching::updateCounterCache()
Teaching::saveAll()
Teaching::updateAll()
Teaching::remove()
Teaching::del()
Teaching::delete()
Teaching::deleteAll()
Teaching::exists()
Teaching::hasAny()
Teaching::find()
Teaching::findAll()
Teaching::execute()
Teaching::findCount()
Teaching::isUnique()
Teaching::findAllThreaded()
Teaching::findNeighbours()
Teaching::query()
Teaching::validates()
Teaching::invalidFields()
Teaching::invalidate()
Teaching::isForeignKey()
Teaching::getDisplayField()
Teaching::generateList()
Teaching::escapeField()
Teaching::getID()
Teaching::normalizeFindParams()
Teaching::getLastInsertID()
Teaching::getInsertID()
Teaching::setInsertID()
Teaching::getNumRows()
Teaching::getAffectedRows()
Teaching::setDataSource()
Teaching::getDataSource()
Teaching::getAssociated()
Teaching::joinModel()
Teaching::beforeFind()
Teaching::afterSave()
Teaching::beforeDelete()
Teaching::afterDelete()
Teaching::beforeValidate()
Teaching::onError()
Teaching::overload()
Teaching::Object()
Teaching::toString()
Teaching::requestAction()
Teaching::log()
Teaching::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Apologetic = Apologetic
Apologetic::$name = "Apologetic"
Apologetic::$belongsTo = array(
"Author" => array(
"foreignKey" => "author_id",
"className" => "Author",
"conditions" => "[empty string]",
"fields" => "[empty string]",
"order" => "[empty string]",
"counterCache" => "[empty string]"
)
)
Apologetic::$useDbConfig = "default"
Apologetic::$useTable = "apologetics"
Apologetic::$displayField = "title"
Apologetic::$id = false
Apologetic::$data = array()
Apologetic::$table = "apologetics"
Apologetic::$primaryKey = "id"
Apologetic::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"title" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 200,
"key" => "index"
),
"author_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 5
),
"description" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"apologetic" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null,
"key" => "index"
),
"date_authored" => array(
"type" => "date",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"keywords" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"featured" => array(
"type" => "boolean",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 1
),
"status" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => "awaiting_approval",
"length" => 40
),
"created" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"modified" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
)
)
Apologetic::$validate = array()
Apologetic::$validationErrors = array()
Apologetic::$tablePrefix = NULL
Apologetic::$alias = "Apologetic"
Apologetic::$tableToModel = array(
"apologetics" => "Apologetic",
"authors" => "Author"
)
Apologetic::$logTransactions = false
Apologetic::$transactional = false
Apologetic::$cacheQueries = false
Apologetic::$hasOne = array()
Apologetic::$hasMany = array()
Apologetic::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Apologetic::$actsAs = NULL
Apologetic::$behaviors = array()
Apologetic::$whitelist = array()
Apologetic::$cacheSources = true
Apologetic::$findQueryType = NULL
Apologetic::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Apologetic::$recursive = 1
Apologetic::$order = NULL
Apologetic::$__exists = NULL
Apologetic::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Apologetic::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Apologetic::$__backAssociation = array()
Apologetic::$__insertID = NULL
Apologetic::$__numRows = NULL
Apologetic::$__affectedRows = NULL
Apologetic::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Apologetic::$_log = NULL
Apologetic::$Author = Author
Author::$name = "Author"
Author::$validate = array(
"name" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"1"
),
"message" => "This field is required"
),
"email_address" => array(
"checkUniquity" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkEmailUniquity"
),
"on" => "create",
"message" => "An account already exists for that e-mail address."
),
"email" => array(
"rule" => array(
"email",
true
),
"message" => "You must enter a valid e-mail address"
)
),
"existing_password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkExistingPassword"
),
"message" => "The password you entered is not correct"
),
"password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"8"
),
"message" => "Your password must be at least 8 characters long"
),
"password2" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkPasswordMatch"
),
"message" => "The passwords you entered do not match"
)
)
Author::$useDbConfig = "default"
Author::$useTable = "authors"
Author::$displayField = "name"
Author::$id = NULL
Author::$data = array()
Author::$table = "authors"
Author::$primaryKey = "id"
Author::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"name" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"biography" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"copyright_notice" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"email_address" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
),
"username" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"password" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
)
)
Author::$validationErrors = array()
Author::$tablePrefix = NULL
Author::$alias = "Author"
Author::$tableToModel = array(
"authors" => "Author"
)
Author::$logTransactions = false
Author::$transactional = false
Author::$cacheQueries = false
Author::$belongsTo = array()
Author::$hasOne = array()
Author::$hasMany = array()
Author::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Author::$actsAs = NULL
Author::$behaviors = array()
Author::$whitelist = array()
Author::$cacheSources = true
Author::$findQueryType = NULL
Author::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Author::$recursive = 1
Author::$order = NULL
Author::$__exists = NULL
Author::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Author::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Author::$__backAssociation = array()
Author::$__insertID = NULL
Author::$__numRows = NULL
Author::$__affectedRows = NULL
Author::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
Author::deleteAll()
Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
Author::findAll()
Author::execute()
Author::findCount()
Author::isUnique()
Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
Author::getAffectedRows()
Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
Author::beforeFind()
Author::afterFind()
Author::beforeSave()
Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
Author::cakeError()
Apologetic::beforeSave()
Apologetic::afterFind()
Apologetic::call__()
Apologetic::bind()
Apologetic::bindModel()
Apologetic::unbindModel()
Apologetic::setSource()
Apologetic::set()
Apologetic::deconstruct()
Apologetic::schema()
Apologetic::loadInfo()
Apologetic::getColumnTypes()
Apologetic::getColumnType()
Apologetic::hasField()
Apologetic::create()
Apologetic::read()
Apologetic::field()
Apologetic::saveField()
Apologetic::save()
Apologetic::updateCounterCache()
Apologetic::saveAll()
Apologetic::updateAll()
Apologetic::remove()
Apologetic::del()
Apologetic::delete()
Apologetic::deleteAll()
Apologetic::exists()
Apologetic::hasAny()
Apologetic::find()
Apologetic::findAll()
Apologetic::execute()
Apologetic::findCount()
Apologetic::isUnique()
Apologetic::findAllThreaded()
Apologetic::findNeighbours()
Apologetic::query()
Apologetic::validates()
Apologetic::invalidFields()
Apologetic::invalidate()
Apologetic::isForeignKey()
Apologetic::getDisplayField()
Apologetic::generateList()
Apologetic::escapeField()
Apologetic::getID()
Apologetic::normalizeFindParams()
Apologetic::getLastInsertID()
Apologetic::getInsertID()
Apologetic::setInsertID()
Apologetic::getNumRows()
Apologetic::getAffectedRows()
Apologetic::setDataSource()
Apologetic::getDataSource()
Apologetic::getAssociated()
Apologetic::joinModel()
Apologetic::beforeFind()
Apologetic::afterSave()
Apologetic::beforeDelete()
Apologetic::afterDelete()
Apologetic::beforeValidate()
Apologetic::onError()
Apologetic::overload()
Apologetic::Object()
Apologetic::toString()
Apologetic::requestAction()
Apologetic::log()
Apologetic::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Keyword = Keyword
Keyword::$name = "Keyword"
Keyword::$useDbConfig = "default"
Keyword::$useTable = "keywords"
Keyword::$displayField = "id"
Keyword::$id = NULL
Keyword::$data = array()
Keyword::$table = "keywords"
Keyword::$primaryKey = "id"
Keyword::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"keyword" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 100
)
)
Keyword::$validate = array()
Keyword::$validationErrors = array()
Keyword::$tablePrefix = NULL
Keyword::$alias = "Keyword"
Keyword::$tableToModel = array(
"keywords" => "Keyword"
)
Keyword::$logTransactions = false
Keyword::$transactional = false
Keyword::$cacheQueries = false
Keyword::$belongsTo = array()
Keyword::$hasOne = array()
Keyword::$hasMany = array()
Keyword::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Keyword::$actsAs = NULL
Keyword::$behaviors = array()
Keyword::$whitelist = array()
Keyword::$cacheSources = true
Keyword::$findQueryType = NULL
Keyword::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Keyword::$recursive = 1
Keyword::$order = NULL
Keyword::$__exists = NULL
Keyword::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Keyword::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Keyword::$__backAssociation = array()
Keyword::$__insertID = NULL
Keyword::$__numRows = NULL
Keyword::$__affectedRows = NULL
Keyword::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Keyword::$_log = NULL
Keyword::call__()
Keyword::bind()
Keyword::bindModel()
Keyword::unbindModel()
Keyword::setSource()
Keyword::set()
Keyword::deconstruct()
Keyword::schema()
Keyword::loadInfo()
Keyword::getColumnTypes()
Keyword::getColumnType()
Keyword::hasField()
Keyword::create()
Keyword::read()
Keyword::field()
Keyword::saveField()
Keyword::save()
Keyword::updateCounterCache()
Keyword::saveAll()
Keyword::updateAll()
Keyword::remove()
Keyword::del()
Keyword::delete()
Keyword::deleteAll()
Keyword::exists()
Keyword::hasAny()
Keyword::find()
Keyword::findAll()
Keyword::execute()
Keyword::findCount()
Keyword::isUnique()
Keyword::findAllThreaded()
Keyword::findNeighbours()
Keyword::query()
Keyword::validates()
Keyword::invalidFields()
Keyword::invalidate()
Keyword::isForeignKey()
Keyword::getDisplayField()
Keyword::generateList()
Keyword::escapeField()
Keyword::getID()
Keyword::normalizeFindParams()
Keyword::getLastInsertID()
Keyword::getInsertID()
Keyword::setInsertID()
Keyword::getNumRows()
Keyword::getAffectedRows()
Keyword::setDataSource()
Keyword::getDataSource()
Keyword::getAssociated()
Keyword::joinModel()
Keyword::beforeFind()
Keyword::afterFind()
Keyword::beforeSave()
Keyword::afterSave()
Keyword::beforeDelete()
Keyword::afterDelete()
Keyword::beforeValidate()
Keyword::onError()
Keyword::overload()
Keyword::Object()
Keyword::toString()
Keyword::requestAction()
Keyword::log()
Keyword::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$KeywordIndex = KeywordIndex
KeywordIndex::$name = "KeywordIndex"
KeywordIndex::$useTable = "keyword_index"
KeywordIndex::$useDbConfig = "default"
KeywordIndex::$displayField = "id"
KeywordIndex::$id = NULL
KeywordIndex::$data = array()
KeywordIndex::$table = "keyword_index"
KeywordIndex::$primaryKey = "id"
KeywordIndex::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"keyword_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5
),
"resource_type" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 20
),
"resource_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5
)
)
KeywordIndex::$validate = array()
KeywordIndex::$validationErrors = array()
KeywordIndex::$tablePrefix = NULL
KeywordIndex::$alias = "KeywordIndex"
KeywordIndex::$tableToModel = array(
"keyword_index" => "KeywordIndex"
)
KeywordIndex::$logTransactions = false
KeywordIndex::$transactional = false
KeywordIndex::$cacheQueries = false
KeywordIndex::$belongsTo = array()
KeywordIndex::$hasOne = array()
KeywordIndex::$hasMany = array()
KeywordIndex::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
KeywordIndex::$actsAs = NULL
KeywordIndex::$behaviors = array()
KeywordIndex::$whitelist = array()
KeywordIndex::$cacheSources = true
KeywordIndex::$findQueryType = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__behaviorMethods = array()
KeywordIndex::$recursive = 1
KeywordIndex::$order = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__exists = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
KeywordIndex::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
KeywordIndex::$__backAssociation = array()
KeywordIndex::$__insertID = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__numRows = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__affectedRows = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
KeywordIndex::$_log = NULL
KeywordIndex::call__()
KeywordIndex::bind()
KeywordIndex::bindModel()
KeywordIndex::unbindModel()
KeywordIndex::setSource()
KeywordIndex::set()
KeywordIndex::deconstruct()
KeywordIndex::schema()
KeywordIndex::loadInfo()
KeywordIndex::getColumnTypes()
KeywordIndex::getColumnType()
KeywordIndex::hasField()
KeywordIndex::create()
KeywordIndex::read()
KeywordIndex::field()
KeywordIndex::saveField()
KeywordIndex::save()
KeywordIndex::updateCounterCache()
KeywordIndex::saveAll()
KeywordIndex::updateAll()
KeywordIndex::remove()
KeywordIndex::del()
KeywordIndex::delete()
KeywordIndex::deleteAll()
KeywordIndex::exists()
KeywordIndex::hasAny()
KeywordIndex::find()
KeywordIndex::findAll()
KeywordIndex::execute()
KeywordIndex::findCount()
KeywordIndex::isUnique()
KeywordIndex::findAllThreaded()
KeywordIndex::findNeighbours()
KeywordIndex::query()
KeywordIndex::validates()
KeywordIndex::invalidFields()
KeywordIndex::invalidate()
KeywordIndex::isForeignKey()
KeywordIndex::getDisplayField()
KeywordIndex::generateList()
KeywordIndex::escapeField()
KeywordIndex::getID()
KeywordIndex::normalizeFindParams()
KeywordIndex::getLastInsertID()
KeywordIndex::getInsertID()
KeywordIndex::setInsertID()
KeywordIndex::getNumRows()
KeywordIndex::getAffectedRows()
KeywordIndex::setDataSource()
KeywordIndex::getDataSource()
KeywordIndex::getAssociated()
KeywordIndex::joinModel()
KeywordIndex::beforeFind()
KeywordIndex::afterFind()
KeywordIndex::beforeSave()
KeywordIndex::afterSave()
KeywordIndex::beforeDelete()
KeywordIndex::afterDelete()
KeywordIndex::beforeValidate()
KeywordIndex::onError()
KeywordIndex::overload()
KeywordIndex::Object()
KeywordIndex::toString()
KeywordIndex::requestAction()
KeywordIndex::log()
KeywordIndex::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Bibliopedia = Bibliopedia
Bibliopedia::$name = "Bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$useTable = "bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$order = "Bibliopedia.term ASC"
Bibliopedia::$useDbConfig = "default"
Bibliopedia::$displayField = "id"
Bibliopedia::$id = NULL
Bibliopedia::$data = array()
Bibliopedia::$table = "bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$primaryKey = "id"
Bibliopedia::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"term" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => 100
),
"definition" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"first_letter" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => 1
),
"status" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 40
),
"created" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"modified" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
)
)
Bibliopedia::$validate = array()
Bibliopedia::$validationErrors = array()
Bibliopedia::$tablePrefix = NULL
Bibliopedia::$alias = "Bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$tableToModel = array(
"bibliopedia" => "Bibliopedia"
)
Bibliopedia::$logTransactions = false
Bibliopedia::$transactional = false
Bibliopedia::$cacheQueries = false
Bibliopedia::$belongsTo = array()
Bibliopedia::$hasOne = array()
Bibliopedia::$hasMany = array()
Bibliopedia::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Bibliopedia::$actsAs = NULL
Bibliopedia::$behaviors = array()
Bibliopedia::$whitelist = array()
Bibliopedia::$cacheSources = true
Bibliopedia::$findQueryType = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Bibliopedia::$recursive = 1
Bibliopedia::$__exists = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Bibliopedia::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Bibliopedia::$__backAssociation = array()
Bibliopedia::$__insertID = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__numRows = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__affectedRows = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Bibliopedia::$_log = NULL
Bibliopedia::call__()
Bibliopedia::bind()
Bibliopedia::bindModel()
Bibliopedia::unbindModel()
Bibliopedia::setSource()
Bibliopedia::set()
Bibliopedia::deconstruct()
Bibliopedia::schema()
Bibliopedia::loadInfo()
Bibliopedia::getColumnTypes()
Bibliopedia::getColumnType()
Bibliopedia::hasField()
Bibliopedia::create()
Bibliopedia::read()
Bibliopedia::field()
Bibliopedia::saveField()
Bibliopedia::save()
Bibliopedia::updateCounterCache()
Bibliopedia::saveAll()
Bibliopedia::updateAll()
Bibliopedia::remove()
Bibliopedia::del()
Bibliopedia::delete()
Bibliopedia::deleteAll()
Bibliopedia::exists()
Bibliopedia::hasAny()
Bibliopedia::find()
Bibliopedia::findAll()
Bibliopedia::execute()
Bibliopedia::findCount()
Bibliopedia::isUnique()
Bibliopedia::findAllThreaded()
Bibliopedia::findNeighbours()
Bibliopedia::query()
Bibliopedia::validates()
Bibliopedia::invalidFields()
Bibliopedia::invalidate()
Bibliopedia::isForeignKey()
Bibliopedia::getDisplayField()
Bibliopedia::generateList()
Bibliopedia::escapeField()
Bibliopedia::getID()
Bibliopedia::normalizeFindParams()
Bibliopedia::getLastInsertID()
Bibliopedia::getInsertID()
Bibliopedia::setInsertID()
Bibliopedia::getNumRows()
Bibliopedia::getAffectedRows()
Bibliopedia::setDataSource()
Bibliopedia::getDataSource()
Bibliopedia::getAssociated()
Bibliopedia::joinModel()
Bibliopedia::beforeFind()
Bibliopedia::afterFind()
Bibliopedia::beforeSave()
Bibliopedia::afterSave()
Bibliopedia::beforeDelete()
Bibliopedia::afterDelete()
Bibliopedia::beforeValidate()
Bibliopedia::onError()
Bibliopedia::overload()
Bibliopedia::Object()
Bibliopedia::toString()
Bibliopedia::requestAction()
Bibliopedia::log()
Bibliopedia::cakeError()
AuthorsController::view()
AuthorsController::create()
AuthorsController::edit()
AuthorsController::biography()
AuthorsController::submitTerm()
AuthorsController::submit()
AuthorsController::home()
AuthorsController::login()
AuthorsController::logout()
AuthorsController::admin_review()
AuthorsController::admin_reviewTerm()
AuthorsController::beforeFilter()
AuthorsController::checkSession()
AuthorsController::checkPermission()
AuthorsController::error()
AuthorsController::constructClasses()
AuthorsController::loadModel()
AuthorsController::redirect()
AuthorsController::set()
AuthorsController::setAction()
AuthorsController::isAuthorized()
AuthorsController::validate()
AuthorsController::validateErrors()
AuthorsController::render()
AuthorsController::referer()
AuthorsController::disableCache()
AuthorsController::flash()
AuthorsController::postConditions()
AuthorsController::cleanUpFields()
AuthorsController::paginate()
AuthorsController::beforeRender()
AuthorsController::afterFilter()
AuthorsController::Object()
AuthorsController::toString()
AuthorsController::requestAction()
AuthorsController::log()
AuthorsController::cakeError()
View::$loaded = array(
"html" => HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError(),
"form" => FormHelper
FormHelper::$helpers = array(
"Html"
)
FormHelper::$fieldset = array(
"fields" => array(),
"key" => "id",
"validates" => array()
)
FormHelper::$__options = array(
"day" => array(),
"minute" => array(),
"hour" => array(),
"month" => array(),
"year" => array(),
"meridian" => array()
)
FormHelper::$fields = array()
FormHelper::$requestType = NULL
FormHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
FormHelper::$webroot = "/"
FormHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
FormHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
FormHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
FormHelper::$action = "view"
FormHelper::$plugin = NULL
FormHelper::$data = NULL
FormHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
FormHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
FormHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
FormHelper::$tags = array()
FormHelper::$__tainted = NULL
FormHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
FormHelper::$_log = NULL
FormHelper::$Html = HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError()
FormHelper::create()
FormHelper::end()
FormHelper::secure()
FormHelper::isFieldError()
FormHelper::error()
FormHelper::label()
FormHelper::inputs()
FormHelper::input()
FormHelper::checkbox()
FormHelper::radio()
FormHelper::text()
FormHelper::password()
FormHelper::textarea()
FormHelper::hidden()
FormHelper::file()
FormHelper::button()
FormHelper::submit()
FormHelper::submitImage()
FormHelper::select()
FormHelper::day()
FormHelper::year()
FormHelper::month()
FormHelper::hour()
FormHelper::minute()
FormHelper::meridian()
FormHelper::dateTime()
FormHelper::get__()
FormHelper::set__()
FormHelper::call__()
FormHelper::loadConfig()
FormHelper::url()
FormHelper::webroot()
FormHelper::clean()
FormHelper::setFormTag()
FormHelper::setEntity()
FormHelper::model()
FormHelper::modelID()
FormHelper::field()
FormHelper::tagIsInvalid()
FormHelper::domId()
FormHelper::value()
FormHelper::addClass()
FormHelper::output()
FormHelper::assign()
FormHelper::beforeRender()
FormHelper::afterRender()
FormHelper::beforeLayout()
FormHelper::afterLayout()
FormHelper::overload()
FormHelper::Object()
FormHelper::toString()
FormHelper::requestAction()
FormHelper::log()
FormHelper::cakeError(),
"session" => SessionHelper
SessionHelper::$helpers = NULL
SessionHelper::$__active = true
SessionHelper::$valid = false
SessionHelper::$error = false
SessionHelper::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionHelper::$path = false
SessionHelper::$lastError = NULL
SessionHelper::$security = NULL
SessionHelper::$time = 1337368928
SessionHelper::$sessionTime = false
SessionHelper::$watchKeys = array()
SessionHelper::$id = NULL
SessionHelper::$_log = NULL
SessionHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
SessionHelper::$webroot = "/"
SessionHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
SessionHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
SessionHelper::$action = "view"
SessionHelper::$data = NULL
SessionHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
SessionHelper::$plugin = NULL
SessionHelper::activate()
SessionHelper::read()
SessionHelper::check()
SessionHelper::error()
SessionHelper::flash()
SessionHelper::valid()
SessionHelper::write()
SessionHelper::id()
SessionHelper::start()
SessionHelper::started()
SessionHelper::del()
SessionHelper::watch()
SessionHelper::ignore()
SessionHelper::destroy()
SessionHelper::renew()
SessionHelper::Object()
SessionHelper::toString()
SessionHelper::requestAction()
SessionHelper::log()
SessionHelper::cakeError()
)
View::$modelScope = false
View::$model = NULL
View::$association = NULL
View::$field = NULL
View::$fieldSuffix = NULL
View::$modelId = NULL
View::$uuids = array()
View::$__passedVars = array(
"viewVars",
"action",
"autoLayout",
"autoRender",
"ext",
"base",
"webroot",
"helpers",
"here",
"layout",
"name",
"pageTitle",
"layoutPath",
"viewPath",
"params",
"data",
"webservices",
"plugin",
"passedArgs",
"cacheAction"
)
View::$__scripts = array()
View::$__paths = array(
"/home/pulpittoday/pulpittoday.com/app/views/",
"/home/pulpittoday/pulpittoday.com/cake/libs/view/"
)
View::$_log = NULL
View::$webroot = "/"
View::$webservices = NULL
View::element()
View::render()
View::renderElement()
View::renderLayout()
View::renderCache()
View::getVars()
View::getVar()
View::addScript()
View::uuid()
View::entity()
View::set()
View::error()
View::Object()
View::toString()
View::requestAction()
View::log()
View::cakeError()
$___viewFn = "/home/pulpittoday/pulpittoday.com/app/views/authors/view.ctp"
$___dataForView = array(
"biblebooks" => array(
"Genesis",
"Exodus",
"Leviticus",
"Numbers",
"Deuteronomy",
"Joshua",
"Judges",
"Ruth",
"1 Samuel",
"2 Samuel",
"1 Kings",
"2 Kings",
"1 Chronicles",
"2 Chronicles",
"Ezra",
"Nehemiah",
"Esther",
"Job",
"Psalms",
"Proverbs",
"Ecclesiastes",
"Song of Solomon",
"Isaiah",
"Jeremiah",
"Lamentations",
"Ezekiel",
"Daniel",
"Hosea",
"Joel",
"Amos",
"Obadiah",
"Jonah",
"Micah",
"Nahum",
"Habakkuk",
"Zephaniah",
"Haggai",
"Zechariah",
"Malachi",
"Matthew",
"Mark",
"Luke",
"John",
"Acts",
"Romans",
"1 Corinthians",
"2 Corinthians",
"Galatians",
"Ephesians",
"Philippians",
"Colossians",
"1 Thessalonians",
"2 Thessalonians",
"1 Timothy",
"2 Timothy",
"Titus",
"Philemon",
"Hebrews",
"James",
"1 Peter",
"2 Peter",
"1 John",
"2 John",
"3 John",
"Jude",
"Revelation"
),
"featuredMessages" => array(
array(
"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "23",
"title" => "God at Work",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "1",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "5",
"scripture_start_verse" => "16",
"scripture_end_book" => "1",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "5",
"scripture_end_verse" => "16",
"description" => "Many people, whether they are seekers or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world. Despite their doubts, one fact comes through loud and clear, that is, God prevails upon creation! If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe, He certainly guides and controls it.",
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<meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12" />
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<link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cuser%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" />
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
<o:p></o:p></em></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
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<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
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"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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"id" => "203",
"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "2",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_start_verse" => "17",
"scripture_end_book" => "2",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_end_verse" => "34",
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"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
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"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError(),
"Form" => FormHelper
FormHelper::$helpers = array(
"Html"
)
FormHelper::$fieldset = array(
"fields" => array(),
"key" => "id",
"validates" => array()
)
FormHelper::$__options = array(
"day" => array(),
"minute" => array(),
"hour" => array(),
"month" => array(),
"year" => array(),
"meridian" => array()
)
FormHelper::$fields = array()
FormHelper::$requestType = NULL
FormHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
FormHelper::$webroot = "/"
FormHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
FormHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
FormHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
FormHelper::$action = "view"
FormHelper::$plugin = NULL
FormHelper::$data = NULL
FormHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
FormHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
FormHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
FormHelper::$tags = array()
FormHelper::$__tainted = NULL
FormHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
FormHelper::$_log = NULL
FormHelper::$Html = HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError()
FormHelper::create()
FormHelper::end()
FormHelper::secure()
FormHelper::isFieldError()
FormHelper::error()
FormHelper::label()
FormHelper::inputs()
FormHelper::input()
FormHelper::checkbox()
FormHelper::radio()
FormHelper::text()
FormHelper::password()
FormHelper::textarea()
FormHelper::hidden()
FormHelper::file()
FormHelper::button()
FormHelper::submit()
FormHelper::submitImage()
FormHelper::select()
FormHelper::day()
FormHelper::year()
FormHelper::month()
FormHelper::hour()
FormHelper::minute()
FormHelper::meridian()
FormHelper::dateTime()
FormHelper::get__()
FormHelper::set__()
FormHelper::call__()
FormHelper::loadConfig()
FormHelper::url()
FormHelper::webroot()
FormHelper::clean()
FormHelper::setFormTag()
FormHelper::setEntity()
FormHelper::model()
FormHelper::modelID()
FormHelper::field()
FormHelper::tagIsInvalid()
FormHelper::domId()
FormHelper::value()
FormHelper::addClass()
FormHelper::output()
FormHelper::assign()
FormHelper::beforeRender()
FormHelper::afterRender()
FormHelper::beforeLayout()
FormHelper::afterLayout()
FormHelper::overload()
FormHelper::Object()
FormHelper::toString()
FormHelper::requestAction()
FormHelper::log()
FormHelper::cakeError(),
"Session" => SessionHelper
SessionHelper::$helpers = NULL
SessionHelper::$__active = true
SessionHelper::$valid = false
SessionHelper::$error = false
SessionHelper::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionHelper::$path = false
SessionHelper::$lastError = NULL
SessionHelper::$security = NULL
SessionHelper::$time = 1337368928
SessionHelper::$sessionTime = false
SessionHelper::$watchKeys = array()
SessionHelper::$id = NULL
SessionHelper::$_log = NULL
SessionHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
SessionHelper::$webroot = "/"
SessionHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
SessionHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
SessionHelper::$action = "view"
SessionHelper::$data = NULL
SessionHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
SessionHelper::$plugin = NULL
SessionHelper::activate()
SessionHelper::read()
SessionHelper::check()
SessionHelper::error()
SessionHelper::flash()
SessionHelper::valid()
SessionHelper::write()
SessionHelper::id()
SessionHelper::start()
SessionHelper::started()
SessionHelper::del()
SessionHelper::watch()
SessionHelper::ignore()
SessionHelper::destroy()
SessionHelper::renew()
SessionHelper::Object()
SessionHelper::toString()
SessionHelper::requestAction()
SessionHelper::log()
SessionHelper::cakeError()
)
$helper = SessionHelper
SessionHelper::$helpers = NULL
SessionHelper::$__active = true
SessionHelper::$valid = false
SessionHelper::$error = false
SessionHelper::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionHelper::$path = false
SessionHelper::$lastError = NULL
SessionHelper::$security = NULL
SessionHelper::$time = 1337368928
SessionHelper::$sessionTime = false
SessionHelper::$watchKeys = array()
SessionHelper::$id = NULL
SessionHelper::$_log = NULL
SessionHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
SessionHelper::$webroot = "/"
SessionHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
SessionHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
SessionHelper::$action = "view"
SessionHelper::$data = NULL
SessionHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
SessionHelper::$plugin = NULL
SessionHelper::activate()
SessionHelper::read()
SessionHelper::check()
SessionHelper::error()
SessionHelper::flash()
SessionHelper::valid()
SessionHelper::write()
SessionHelper::id()
SessionHelper::start()
SessionHelper::started()
SessionHelper::del()
SessionHelper::watch()
SessionHelper::ignore()
SessionHelper::destroy()
SessionHelper::renew()
SessionHelper::Object()
SessionHelper::toString()
SessionHelper::requestAction()
SessionHelper::log()
SessionHelper::cakeError()
$camelBackedHelper = "session"
$html = HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError()
$form = FormHelper
FormHelper::$helpers = array(
"Html"
)
FormHelper::$fieldset = array(
"fields" => array(),
"key" => "id",
"validates" => array()
)
FormHelper::$__options = array(
"day" => array(),
"minute" => array(),
"hour" => array(),
"month" => array(),
"year" => array(),
"meridian" => array()
)
FormHelper::$fields = array()
FormHelper::$requestType = NULL
FormHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
FormHelper::$webroot = "/"
FormHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
FormHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
FormHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
FormHelper::$action = "view"
FormHelper::$plugin = NULL
FormHelper::$data = NULL
FormHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
FormHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
FormHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
FormHelper::$tags = array()
FormHelper::$__tainted = NULL
FormHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
FormHelper::$_log = NULL
FormHelper::$Html = HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError()
FormHelper::create()
FormHelper::end()
FormHelper::secure()
FormHelper::isFieldError()
FormHelper::error()
FormHelper::label()
FormHelper::inputs()
FormHelper::input()
FormHelper::checkbox()
FormHelper::radio()
FormHelper::text()
FormHelper::password()
FormHelper::textarea()
FormHelper::hidden()
FormHelper::file()
FormHelper::button()
FormHelper::submit()
FormHelper::submitImage()
FormHelper::select()
FormHelper::day()
FormHelper::year()
FormHelper::month()
FormHelper::hour()
FormHelper::minute()
FormHelper::meridian()
FormHelper::dateTime()
FormHelper::get__()
FormHelper::set__()
FormHelper::call__()
FormHelper::loadConfig()
FormHelper::url()
FormHelper::webroot()
FormHelper::clean()
FormHelper::setFormTag()
FormHelper::setEntity()
FormHelper::model()
FormHelper::modelID()
FormHelper::field()
FormHelper::tagIsInvalid()
FormHelper::domId()
FormHelper::value()
FormHelper::addClass()
FormHelper::output()
FormHelper::assign()
FormHelper::beforeRender()
FormHelper::afterRender()
FormHelper::beforeLayout()
FormHelper::afterLayout()
FormHelper::overload()
FormHelper::Object()
FormHelper::toString()
FormHelper::requestAction()
FormHelper::log()
FormHelper::cakeError()
$session = SessionHelper
SessionHelper::$helpers = NULL
SessionHelper::$__active = true
SessionHelper::$valid = false
SessionHelper::$error = false
SessionHelper::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionHelper::$path = false
SessionHelper::$lastError = NULL
SessionHelper::$security = NULL
SessionHelper::$time = 1337368928
SessionHelper::$sessionTime = false
SessionHelper::$watchKeys = array()
SessionHelper::$id = NULL
SessionHelper::$_log = NULL
SessionHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
SessionHelper::$webroot = "/"
SessionHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
SessionHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
SessionHelper::$action = "view"
SessionHelper::$data = NULL
SessionHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
SessionHelper::$plugin = NULL
SessionHelper::activate()
SessionHelper::read()
SessionHelper::check()
SessionHelper::error()
SessionHelper::flash()
SessionHelper::valid()
SessionHelper::write()
SessionHelper::id()
SessionHelper::start()
SessionHelper::started()
SessionHelper::del()
SessionHelper::watch()
SessionHelper::ignore()
SessionHelper::destroy()
SessionHelper::renew()
SessionHelper::Object()
SessionHelper::toString()
SessionHelper::requestAction()
SessionHelper::log()
SessionHelper::cakeError()
$biblebooks = array(
"Genesis",
"Exodus",
"Leviticus",
"Numbers",
"Deuteronomy",
"Joshua",
"Judges",
"Ruth",
"1 Samuel",
"2 Samuel",
"1 Kings",
"2 Kings",
"1 Chronicles",
"2 Chronicles",
"Ezra",
"Nehemiah",
"Esther",
"Job",
"Psalms",
"Proverbs",
"Ecclesiastes",
"Song of Solomon",
"Isaiah",
"Jeremiah",
"Lamentations",
"Ezekiel",
"Daniel",
"Hosea",
"Joel",
"Amos",
"Obadiah",
"Jonah",
"Micah",
"Nahum",
"Habakkuk",
"Zephaniah",
"Haggai",
"Zechariah",
"Malachi",
"Matthew",
"Mark",
"Luke",
"John",
"Acts",
"Romans",
"1 Corinthians",
"2 Corinthians",
"Galatians",
"Ephesians",
"Philippians",
"Colossians",
"1 Thessalonians",
"2 Thessalonians",
"1 Timothy",
"2 Timothy",
"Titus",
"Philemon",
"Hebrews",
"James",
"1 Peter",
"2 Peter",
"1 John",
"2 John",
"3 John",
"Jude",
"Revelation"
)
$featuredMessages = array(
array(
"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "23",
"title" => "God at Work",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "1",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "5",
"scripture_start_verse" => "16",
"scripture_end_book" => "1",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "5",
"scripture_end_verse" => "16",
"description" => "Many people, whether they are seekers or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world. Despite their doubts, one fact comes through loud and clear, that is, God prevails upon creation! If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe, He certainly guides and controls it.",
"sermon" => "<p>
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{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-link:"Body Text Indent Char";
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
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<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
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<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
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<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
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"created" => "2009-03-18 12:51:46",
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"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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array(
"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "203",
"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "2",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_start_verse" => "17",
"scripture_end_book" => "2",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_end_verse" => "34",
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"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
<o:p></o:p></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
"date_authored" => "2009-03-18",
"keywords" => "a:1:{i:77;s:0:"";}",
"featured" => "1",
"status" => "approved",
"created" => "2009-03-18 12:51:46",
"modified" => "2012-04-21 08:24:02"
),
"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "203",
"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "2",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_start_verse" => "17",
"scripture_end_book" => "2",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_end_verse" => "34",
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"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
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<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
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The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
<o:p></o:p></em></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
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<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
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<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
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"created" => "2009-03-18 12:51:46",
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"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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array(
"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "203",
"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "2",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_start_verse" => "17",
"scripture_end_book" => "2",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_end_verse" => "34",
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"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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Author::$validationErrors = array()
Author::$tablePrefix = NULL
Author::$alias = "Author"
Author::$tableToModel = array(
"authors" => "Author"
)
Author::$logTransactions = false
Author::$transactional = false
Author::$cacheQueries = false
Author::$belongsTo = array()
Author::$hasOne = array()
Author::$hasMany = array()
Author::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Author::$actsAs = NULL
Author::$behaviors = array()
Author::$whitelist = array()
Author::$cacheSources = true
Author::$findQueryType = NULL
Author::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Author::$recursive = 1
Author::$order = NULL
Author::$__exists = NULL
Author::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Author::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Author::$__backAssociation = array()
Author::$__insertID = NULL
Author::$__numRows = NULL
Author::$__affectedRows = NULL
Author::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
Author::deleteAll()
Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
Author::findAll()
Author::execute()
Author::findCount()
Author::isUnique()
Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
Author::getAffectedRows()
Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
Author::beforeFind()
Author::afterFind()
Author::beforeSave()
Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
Author::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Sermon = Sermon
Sermon::$name = "Sermon"
Sermon::$belongsTo = array(
"Author" => array(
"foreignKey" => "author_id",
"className" => "Author",
"conditions" => "[empty string]",
"fields" => "[empty string]",
"order" => "[empty string]",
"counterCache" => "[empty string]"
)
)
Sermon::$useDbConfig = "default"
Sermon::$useTable = "sermons"
Sermon::$displayField = "title"
Sermon::$id = false
Sermon::$data = array()
Sermon::$table = "sermons"
Sermon::$primaryKey = "id"
Sermon::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"title" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 200,
"key" => "index"
),
"author_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 5
),
"scripture_start_book" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_start_chapter" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_start_verse" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_book" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_chapter" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_verse" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"description" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"sermon" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null,
"key" => "index"
),
"date_authored" => array(
"type" => "date",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"keywords" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"featured" => array(
"type" => "boolean",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 1
),
"status" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => "awaiting_approval",
"length" => 40
),
"created" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"modified" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
)
)
Sermon::$validate = array()
Sermon::$validationErrors = array()
Sermon::$tablePrefix = NULL
Sermon::$alias = "Sermon"
Sermon::$tableToModel = array(
"sermons" => "Sermon",
"authors" => "Author"
)
Sermon::$logTransactions = false
Sermon::$transactional = false
Sermon::$cacheQueries = false
Sermon::$hasOne = array()
Sermon::$hasMany = array()
Sermon::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Sermon::$actsAs = NULL
Sermon::$behaviors = array()
Sermon::$whitelist = array()
Sermon::$cacheSources = true
Sermon::$findQueryType = NULL
Sermon::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Sermon::$recursive = 1
Sermon::$order = NULL
Sermon::$__exists = NULL
Sermon::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Sermon::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Sermon::$__backAssociation = array()
Sermon::$__insertID = NULL
Sermon::$__numRows = NULL
Sermon::$__affectedRows = NULL
Sermon::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Sermon::$_log = NULL
Sermon::$Author = Author
Author::$name = "Author"
Author::$validate = array(
"name" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"1"
),
"message" => "This field is required"
),
"email_address" => array(
"checkUniquity" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkEmailUniquity"
),
"on" => "create",
"message" => "An account already exists for that e-mail address."
),
"email" => array(
"rule" => array(
"email",
true
),
"message" => "You must enter a valid e-mail address"
)
),
"existing_password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkExistingPassword"
),
"message" => "The password you entered is not correct"
),
"password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"8"
),
"message" => "Your password must be at least 8 characters long"
),
"password2" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkPasswordMatch"
),
"message" => "The passwords you entered do not match"
)
)
Author::$useDbConfig = "default"
Author::$useTable = "authors"
Author::$displayField = "name"
Author::$id = NULL
Author::$data = array()
Author::$table = "authors"
Author::$primaryKey = "id"
Author::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"name" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"biography" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"copyright_notice" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"email_address" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
),
"username" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"password" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
)
)
Author::$validationErrors = array()
Author::$tablePrefix = NULL
Author::$alias = "Author"
Author::$tableToModel = array(
"authors" => "Author"
)
Author::$logTransactions = false
Author::$transactional = false
Author::$cacheQueries = false
Author::$belongsTo = array()
Author::$hasOne = array()
Author::$hasMany = array()
Author::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Author::$actsAs = NULL
Author::$behaviors = array()
Author::$whitelist = array()
Author::$cacheSources = true
Author::$findQueryType = NULL
Author::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Author::$recursive = 1
Author::$order = NULL
Author::$__exists = NULL
Author::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Author::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Author::$__backAssociation = array()
Author::$__insertID = NULL
Author::$__numRows = NULL
Author::$__affectedRows = NULL
Author::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
Author::deleteAll()
Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
Author::findAll()
Author::execute()
Author::findCount()
Author::isUnique()
Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
Author::getAffectedRows()
Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
Author::beforeFind()
Author::afterFind()
Author::beforeSave()
Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
Author::cakeError()
Sermon::beforeSave()
Sermon::afterFind()
Sermon::call__()
Sermon::bind()
Sermon::bindModel()
Sermon::unbindModel()
Sermon::setSource()
Sermon::set()
Sermon::deconstruct()
Sermon::schema()
Sermon::loadInfo()
Sermon::getColumnTypes()
Sermon::getColumnType()
Sermon::hasField()
Sermon::create()
Sermon::read()
Sermon::field()
Sermon::saveField()
Sermon::save()
Sermon::updateCounterCache()
Sermon::saveAll()
Sermon::updateAll()
Sermon::remove()
Sermon::del()
Sermon::delete()
Sermon::deleteAll()
Sermon::exists()
Sermon::hasAny()
Sermon::find()
Sermon::findAll()
Sermon::execute()
Sermon::findCount()
Sermon::isUnique()
Sermon::findAllThreaded()
Sermon::findNeighbours()
Sermon::query()
Sermon::validates()
Sermon::invalidFields()
Sermon::invalidate()
Sermon::isForeignKey()
Sermon::getDisplayField()
Sermon::generateList()
Sermon::escapeField()
Sermon::getID()
Sermon::normalizeFindParams()
Sermon::getLastInsertID()
Sermon::getInsertID()
Sermon::setInsertID()
Sermon::getNumRows()
Sermon::getAffectedRows()
Sermon::setDataSource()
Sermon::getDataSource()
Sermon::getAssociated()
Sermon::joinModel()
Sermon::beforeFind()
Sermon::afterSave()
Sermon::beforeDelete()
Sermon::afterDelete()
Sermon::beforeValidate()
Sermon::onError()
Sermon::overload()
Sermon::Object()
Sermon::toString()
Sermon::requestAction()
Sermon::log()
Sermon::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Teaching = Teaching
Teaching::$name = "Teaching"
Teaching::$belongsTo = array(
"Author" => array(
"foreignKey" => "author_id",
"className" => "Author",
"conditions" => "[empty string]",
"fields" => "[empty string]",
"order" => "[empty string]",
"counterCache" => "[empty string]"
)
)
Teaching::$useDbConfig = "default"
Teaching::$useTable = "teachings"
Teaching::$displayField = "title"
Teaching::$id = false
Teaching::$data = array()
Teaching::$table = "teachings"
Teaching::$primaryKey = "id"
Teaching::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"title" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 200,
"key" => "index"
),
"author_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 5
),
"scripture_start_book" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_start_chapter" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_start_verse" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_book" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_chapter" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"scripture_end_verse" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 3
),
"description" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"teaching" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null,
"key" => "index"
),
"date_authored" => array(
"type" => "date",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"keywords" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"featured" => array(
"type" => "boolean",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 1
),
"status" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => "awaiting_approval",
"length" => 40
),
"created" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"modified" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
)
)
Teaching::$validate = array()
Teaching::$validationErrors = array()
Teaching::$tablePrefix = NULL
Teaching::$alias = "Teaching"
Teaching::$tableToModel = array(
"teachings" => "Teaching",
"authors" => "Author"
)
Teaching::$logTransactions = false
Teaching::$transactional = false
Teaching::$cacheQueries = false
Teaching::$hasOne = array()
Teaching::$hasMany = array()
Teaching::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Teaching::$actsAs = NULL
Teaching::$behaviors = array()
Teaching::$whitelist = array()
Teaching::$cacheSources = true
Teaching::$findQueryType = NULL
Teaching::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Teaching::$recursive = 1
Teaching::$order = NULL
Teaching::$__exists = NULL
Teaching::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Teaching::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Teaching::$__backAssociation = array()
Teaching::$__insertID = NULL
Teaching::$__numRows = NULL
Teaching::$__affectedRows = NULL
Teaching::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Teaching::$_log = NULL
Teaching::$Author = Author
Author::$name = "Author"
Author::$validate = array(
"name" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"1"
),
"message" => "This field is required"
),
"email_address" => array(
"checkUniquity" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkEmailUniquity"
),
"on" => "create",
"message" => "An account already exists for that e-mail address."
),
"email" => array(
"rule" => array(
"email",
true
),
"message" => "You must enter a valid e-mail address"
)
),
"existing_password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkExistingPassword"
),
"message" => "The password you entered is not correct"
),
"password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"8"
),
"message" => "Your password must be at least 8 characters long"
),
"password2" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkPasswordMatch"
),
"message" => "The passwords you entered do not match"
)
)
Author::$useDbConfig = "default"
Author::$useTable = "authors"
Author::$displayField = "name"
Author::$id = NULL
Author::$data = array()
Author::$table = "authors"
Author::$primaryKey = "id"
Author::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"name" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"biography" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"copyright_notice" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"email_address" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
),
"username" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"password" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
)
)
Author::$validationErrors = array()
Author::$tablePrefix = NULL
Author::$alias = "Author"
Author::$tableToModel = array(
"authors" => "Author"
)
Author::$logTransactions = false
Author::$transactional = false
Author::$cacheQueries = false
Author::$belongsTo = array()
Author::$hasOne = array()
Author::$hasMany = array()
Author::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Author::$actsAs = NULL
Author::$behaviors = array()
Author::$whitelist = array()
Author::$cacheSources = true
Author::$findQueryType = NULL
Author::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Author::$recursive = 1
Author::$order = NULL
Author::$__exists = NULL
Author::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Author::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Author::$__backAssociation = array()
Author::$__insertID = NULL
Author::$__numRows = NULL
Author::$__affectedRows = NULL
Author::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
Author::deleteAll()
Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
Author::findAll()
Author::execute()
Author::findCount()
Author::isUnique()
Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
Author::getAffectedRows()
Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
Author::beforeFind()
Author::afterFind()
Author::beforeSave()
Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
Author::cakeError()
Teaching::beforeSave()
Teaching::afterFind()
Teaching::call__()
Teaching::bind()
Teaching::bindModel()
Teaching::unbindModel()
Teaching::setSource()
Teaching::set()
Teaching::deconstruct()
Teaching::schema()
Teaching::loadInfo()
Teaching::getColumnTypes()
Teaching::getColumnType()
Teaching::hasField()
Teaching::create()
Teaching::read()
Teaching::field()
Teaching::saveField()
Teaching::save()
Teaching::updateCounterCache()
Teaching::saveAll()
Teaching::updateAll()
Teaching::remove()
Teaching::del()
Teaching::delete()
Teaching::deleteAll()
Teaching::exists()
Teaching::hasAny()
Teaching::find()
Teaching::findAll()
Teaching::execute()
Teaching::findCount()
Teaching::isUnique()
Teaching::findAllThreaded()
Teaching::findNeighbours()
Teaching::query()
Teaching::validates()
Teaching::invalidFields()
Teaching::invalidate()
Teaching::isForeignKey()
Teaching::getDisplayField()
Teaching::generateList()
Teaching::escapeField()
Teaching::getID()
Teaching::normalizeFindParams()
Teaching::getLastInsertID()
Teaching::getInsertID()
Teaching::setInsertID()
Teaching::getNumRows()
Teaching::getAffectedRows()
Teaching::setDataSource()
Teaching::getDataSource()
Teaching::getAssociated()
Teaching::joinModel()
Teaching::beforeFind()
Teaching::afterSave()
Teaching::beforeDelete()
Teaching::afterDelete()
Teaching::beforeValidate()
Teaching::onError()
Teaching::overload()
Teaching::Object()
Teaching::toString()
Teaching::requestAction()
Teaching::log()
Teaching::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Apologetic = Apologetic
Apologetic::$name = "Apologetic"
Apologetic::$belongsTo = array(
"Author" => array(
"foreignKey" => "author_id",
"className" => "Author",
"conditions" => "[empty string]",
"fields" => "[empty string]",
"order" => "[empty string]",
"counterCache" => "[empty string]"
)
)
Apologetic::$useDbConfig = "default"
Apologetic::$useTable = "apologetics"
Apologetic::$displayField = "title"
Apologetic::$id = false
Apologetic::$data = array()
Apologetic::$table = "apologetics"
Apologetic::$primaryKey = "id"
Apologetic::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"title" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 200,
"key" => "index"
),
"author_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => "0",
"length" => 5
),
"description" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"apologetic" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null,
"key" => "index"
),
"date_authored" => array(
"type" => "date",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"keywords" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"featured" => array(
"type" => "boolean",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 1
),
"status" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => "awaiting_approval",
"length" => 40
),
"created" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"modified" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
)
)
Apologetic::$validate = array()
Apologetic::$validationErrors = array()
Apologetic::$tablePrefix = NULL
Apologetic::$alias = "Apologetic"
Apologetic::$tableToModel = array(
"apologetics" => "Apologetic",
"authors" => "Author"
)
Apologetic::$logTransactions = false
Apologetic::$transactional = false
Apologetic::$cacheQueries = false
Apologetic::$hasOne = array()
Apologetic::$hasMany = array()
Apologetic::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Apologetic::$actsAs = NULL
Apologetic::$behaviors = array()
Apologetic::$whitelist = array()
Apologetic::$cacheSources = true
Apologetic::$findQueryType = NULL
Apologetic::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Apologetic::$recursive = 1
Apologetic::$order = NULL
Apologetic::$__exists = NULL
Apologetic::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Apologetic::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Apologetic::$__backAssociation = array()
Apologetic::$__insertID = NULL
Apologetic::$__numRows = NULL
Apologetic::$__affectedRows = NULL
Apologetic::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Apologetic::$_log = NULL
Apologetic::$Author = Author
Author::$name = "Author"
Author::$validate = array(
"name" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"1"
),
"message" => "This field is required"
),
"email_address" => array(
"checkUniquity" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkEmailUniquity"
),
"on" => "create",
"message" => "An account already exists for that e-mail address."
),
"email" => array(
"rule" => array(
"email",
true
),
"message" => "You must enter a valid e-mail address"
)
),
"existing_password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkExistingPassword"
),
"message" => "The password you entered is not correct"
),
"password" => array(
"rule" => array(
"minLength",
"8"
),
"message" => "Your password must be at least 8 characters long"
),
"password2" => array(
"rule" => array(
"checkPasswordMatch"
),
"message" => "The passwords you entered do not match"
)
)
Author::$useDbConfig = "default"
Author::$useTable = "authors"
Author::$displayField = "name"
Author::$id = NULL
Author::$data = array()
Author::$table = "authors"
Author::$primaryKey = "id"
Author::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"name" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"biography" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"copyright_notice" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"email_address" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
),
"username" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 30
),
"password" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 50
)
)
Author::$validationErrors = array()
Author::$tablePrefix = NULL
Author::$alias = "Author"
Author::$tableToModel = array(
"authors" => "Author"
)
Author::$logTransactions = false
Author::$transactional = false
Author::$cacheQueries = false
Author::$belongsTo = array()
Author::$hasOne = array()
Author::$hasMany = array()
Author::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Author::$actsAs = NULL
Author::$behaviors = array()
Author::$whitelist = array()
Author::$cacheSources = true
Author::$findQueryType = NULL
Author::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Author::$recursive = 1
Author::$order = NULL
Author::$__exists = NULL
Author::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Author::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Author::$__backAssociation = array()
Author::$__insertID = NULL
Author::$__numRows = NULL
Author::$__affectedRows = NULL
Author::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Author::$_log = NULL
Author::checkEmailUniquity()
Author::checkExistingPassword()
Author::checkPasswordMatch()
Author::call__()
Author::bind()
Author::bindModel()
Author::unbindModel()
Author::setSource()
Author::set()
Author::deconstruct()
Author::schema()
Author::loadInfo()
Author::getColumnTypes()
Author::getColumnType()
Author::hasField()
Author::create()
Author::read()
Author::field()
Author::saveField()
Author::save()
Author::updateCounterCache()
Author::saveAll()
Author::updateAll()
Author::remove()
Author::del()
Author::delete()
Author::deleteAll()
Author::exists()
Author::hasAny()
Author::find()
Author::findAll()
Author::execute()
Author::findCount()
Author::isUnique()
Author::findAllThreaded()
Author::findNeighbours()
Author::query()
Author::validates()
Author::invalidFields()
Author::invalidate()
Author::isForeignKey()
Author::getDisplayField()
Author::generateList()
Author::escapeField()
Author::getID()
Author::normalizeFindParams()
Author::getLastInsertID()
Author::getInsertID()
Author::setInsertID()
Author::getNumRows()
Author::getAffectedRows()
Author::setDataSource()
Author::getDataSource()
Author::getAssociated()
Author::joinModel()
Author::beforeFind()
Author::afterFind()
Author::beforeSave()
Author::afterSave()
Author::beforeDelete()
Author::afterDelete()
Author::beforeValidate()
Author::onError()
Author::overload()
Author::Object()
Author::toString()
Author::requestAction()
Author::log()
Author::cakeError()
Apologetic::beforeSave()
Apologetic::afterFind()
Apologetic::call__()
Apologetic::bind()
Apologetic::bindModel()
Apologetic::unbindModel()
Apologetic::setSource()
Apologetic::set()
Apologetic::deconstruct()
Apologetic::schema()
Apologetic::loadInfo()
Apologetic::getColumnTypes()
Apologetic::getColumnType()
Apologetic::hasField()
Apologetic::create()
Apologetic::read()
Apologetic::field()
Apologetic::saveField()
Apologetic::save()
Apologetic::updateCounterCache()
Apologetic::saveAll()
Apologetic::updateAll()
Apologetic::remove()
Apologetic::del()
Apologetic::delete()
Apologetic::deleteAll()
Apologetic::exists()
Apologetic::hasAny()
Apologetic::find()
Apologetic::findAll()
Apologetic::execute()
Apologetic::findCount()
Apologetic::isUnique()
Apologetic::findAllThreaded()
Apologetic::findNeighbours()
Apologetic::query()
Apologetic::validates()
Apologetic::invalidFields()
Apologetic::invalidate()
Apologetic::isForeignKey()
Apologetic::getDisplayField()
Apologetic::generateList()
Apologetic::escapeField()
Apologetic::getID()
Apologetic::normalizeFindParams()
Apologetic::getLastInsertID()
Apologetic::getInsertID()
Apologetic::setInsertID()
Apologetic::getNumRows()
Apologetic::getAffectedRows()
Apologetic::setDataSource()
Apologetic::getDataSource()
Apologetic::getAssociated()
Apologetic::joinModel()
Apologetic::beforeFind()
Apologetic::afterSave()
Apologetic::beforeDelete()
Apologetic::afterDelete()
Apologetic::beforeValidate()
Apologetic::onError()
Apologetic::overload()
Apologetic::Object()
Apologetic::toString()
Apologetic::requestAction()
Apologetic::log()
Apologetic::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Keyword = Keyword
Keyword::$name = "Keyword"
Keyword::$useDbConfig = "default"
Keyword::$useTable = "keywords"
Keyword::$displayField = "id"
Keyword::$id = NULL
Keyword::$data = array()
Keyword::$table = "keywords"
Keyword::$primaryKey = "id"
Keyword::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"keyword" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 100
)
)
Keyword::$validate = array()
Keyword::$validationErrors = array()
Keyword::$tablePrefix = NULL
Keyword::$alias = "Keyword"
Keyword::$tableToModel = array(
"keywords" => "Keyword"
)
Keyword::$logTransactions = false
Keyword::$transactional = false
Keyword::$cacheQueries = false
Keyword::$belongsTo = array()
Keyword::$hasOne = array()
Keyword::$hasMany = array()
Keyword::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Keyword::$actsAs = NULL
Keyword::$behaviors = array()
Keyword::$whitelist = array()
Keyword::$cacheSources = true
Keyword::$findQueryType = NULL
Keyword::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Keyword::$recursive = 1
Keyword::$order = NULL
Keyword::$__exists = NULL
Keyword::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Keyword::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Keyword::$__backAssociation = array()
Keyword::$__insertID = NULL
Keyword::$__numRows = NULL
Keyword::$__affectedRows = NULL
Keyword::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Keyword::$_log = NULL
Keyword::call__()
Keyword::bind()
Keyword::bindModel()
Keyword::unbindModel()
Keyword::setSource()
Keyword::set()
Keyword::deconstruct()
Keyword::schema()
Keyword::loadInfo()
Keyword::getColumnTypes()
Keyword::getColumnType()
Keyword::hasField()
Keyword::create()
Keyword::read()
Keyword::field()
Keyword::saveField()
Keyword::save()
Keyword::updateCounterCache()
Keyword::saveAll()
Keyword::updateAll()
Keyword::remove()
Keyword::del()
Keyword::delete()
Keyword::deleteAll()
Keyword::exists()
Keyword::hasAny()
Keyword::find()
Keyword::findAll()
Keyword::execute()
Keyword::findCount()
Keyword::isUnique()
Keyword::findAllThreaded()
Keyword::findNeighbours()
Keyword::query()
Keyword::validates()
Keyword::invalidFields()
Keyword::invalidate()
Keyword::isForeignKey()
Keyword::getDisplayField()
Keyword::generateList()
Keyword::escapeField()
Keyword::getID()
Keyword::normalizeFindParams()
Keyword::getLastInsertID()
Keyword::getInsertID()
Keyword::setInsertID()
Keyword::getNumRows()
Keyword::getAffectedRows()
Keyword::setDataSource()
Keyword::getDataSource()
Keyword::getAssociated()
Keyword::joinModel()
Keyword::beforeFind()
Keyword::afterFind()
Keyword::beforeSave()
Keyword::afterSave()
Keyword::beforeDelete()
Keyword::afterDelete()
Keyword::beforeValidate()
Keyword::onError()
Keyword::overload()
Keyword::Object()
Keyword::toString()
Keyword::requestAction()
Keyword::log()
Keyword::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$KeywordIndex = KeywordIndex
KeywordIndex::$name = "KeywordIndex"
KeywordIndex::$useTable = "keyword_index"
KeywordIndex::$useDbConfig = "default"
KeywordIndex::$displayField = "id"
KeywordIndex::$id = NULL
KeywordIndex::$data = array()
KeywordIndex::$table = "keyword_index"
KeywordIndex::$primaryKey = "id"
KeywordIndex::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 8,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"keyword_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5
),
"resource_type" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 20
),
"resource_id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5
)
)
KeywordIndex::$validate = array()
KeywordIndex::$validationErrors = array()
KeywordIndex::$tablePrefix = NULL
KeywordIndex::$alias = "KeywordIndex"
KeywordIndex::$tableToModel = array(
"keyword_index" => "KeywordIndex"
)
KeywordIndex::$logTransactions = false
KeywordIndex::$transactional = false
KeywordIndex::$cacheQueries = false
KeywordIndex::$belongsTo = array()
KeywordIndex::$hasOne = array()
KeywordIndex::$hasMany = array()
KeywordIndex::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
KeywordIndex::$actsAs = NULL
KeywordIndex::$behaviors = array()
KeywordIndex::$whitelist = array()
KeywordIndex::$cacheSources = true
KeywordIndex::$findQueryType = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__behaviorMethods = array()
KeywordIndex::$recursive = 1
KeywordIndex::$order = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__exists = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
KeywordIndex::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
KeywordIndex::$__backAssociation = array()
KeywordIndex::$__insertID = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__numRows = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__affectedRows = NULL
KeywordIndex::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
KeywordIndex::$_log = NULL
KeywordIndex::call__()
KeywordIndex::bind()
KeywordIndex::bindModel()
KeywordIndex::unbindModel()
KeywordIndex::setSource()
KeywordIndex::set()
KeywordIndex::deconstruct()
KeywordIndex::schema()
KeywordIndex::loadInfo()
KeywordIndex::getColumnTypes()
KeywordIndex::getColumnType()
KeywordIndex::hasField()
KeywordIndex::create()
KeywordIndex::read()
KeywordIndex::field()
KeywordIndex::saveField()
KeywordIndex::save()
KeywordIndex::updateCounterCache()
KeywordIndex::saveAll()
KeywordIndex::updateAll()
KeywordIndex::remove()
KeywordIndex::del()
KeywordIndex::delete()
KeywordIndex::deleteAll()
KeywordIndex::exists()
KeywordIndex::hasAny()
KeywordIndex::find()
KeywordIndex::findAll()
KeywordIndex::execute()
KeywordIndex::findCount()
KeywordIndex::isUnique()
KeywordIndex::findAllThreaded()
KeywordIndex::findNeighbours()
KeywordIndex::query()
KeywordIndex::validates()
KeywordIndex::invalidFields()
KeywordIndex::invalidate()
KeywordIndex::isForeignKey()
KeywordIndex::getDisplayField()
KeywordIndex::generateList()
KeywordIndex::escapeField()
KeywordIndex::getID()
KeywordIndex::normalizeFindParams()
KeywordIndex::getLastInsertID()
KeywordIndex::getInsertID()
KeywordIndex::setInsertID()
KeywordIndex::getNumRows()
KeywordIndex::getAffectedRows()
KeywordIndex::setDataSource()
KeywordIndex::getDataSource()
KeywordIndex::getAssociated()
KeywordIndex::joinModel()
KeywordIndex::beforeFind()
KeywordIndex::afterFind()
KeywordIndex::beforeSave()
KeywordIndex::afterSave()
KeywordIndex::beforeDelete()
KeywordIndex::afterDelete()
KeywordIndex::beforeValidate()
KeywordIndex::onError()
KeywordIndex::overload()
KeywordIndex::Object()
KeywordIndex::toString()
KeywordIndex::requestAction()
KeywordIndex::log()
KeywordIndex::cakeError()
AuthorsController::$Bibliopedia = Bibliopedia
Bibliopedia::$name = "Bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$useTable = "bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$order = "Bibliopedia.term ASC"
Bibliopedia::$useDbConfig = "default"
Bibliopedia::$displayField = "id"
Bibliopedia::$id = NULL
Bibliopedia::$data = array()
Bibliopedia::$table = "bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$primaryKey = "id"
Bibliopedia::$_schema = array(
"id" => array(
"type" => "integer",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 5,
"key" => "primary",
"extra" => "auto_increment"
),
"term" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => 100
),
"definition" => array(
"type" => "text",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"first_letter" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => 1
),
"status" => array(
"type" => "string",
"null" => false,
"default" => null,
"length" => 40
),
"created" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
),
"modified" => array(
"type" => "datetime",
"null" => true,
"default" => null,
"length" => null
)
)
Bibliopedia::$validate = array()
Bibliopedia::$validationErrors = array()
Bibliopedia::$tablePrefix = NULL
Bibliopedia::$alias = "Bibliopedia"
Bibliopedia::$tableToModel = array(
"bibliopedia" => "Bibliopedia"
)
Bibliopedia::$logTransactions = false
Bibliopedia::$transactional = false
Bibliopedia::$cacheQueries = false
Bibliopedia::$belongsTo = array()
Bibliopedia::$hasOne = array()
Bibliopedia::$hasMany = array()
Bibliopedia::$hasAndBelongsToMany = array()
Bibliopedia::$actsAs = NULL
Bibliopedia::$behaviors = array()
Bibliopedia::$whitelist = array()
Bibliopedia::$cacheSources = true
Bibliopedia::$findQueryType = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__behaviorMethods = array()
Bibliopedia::$recursive = 1
Bibliopedia::$__exists = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__associationKeys = array(
"belongsTo" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"counterCache"
),
"hasOne" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"dependent"
),
"hasMany" => array(
"className",
"foreignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"dependent",
"exclusive",
"finderQuery",
"counterQuery"
),
"hasAndBelongsToMany" => array(
"className",
"joinTable",
"with",
"foreignKey",
"associationForeignKey",
"conditions",
"fields",
"order",
"limit",
"offset",
"unique",
"finderQuery",
"deleteQuery",
"insertQuery"
)
)
Bibliopedia::$__associations = array(
"belongsTo",
"hasOne",
"hasMany",
"hasAndBelongsToMany"
)
Bibliopedia::$__backAssociation = array()
Bibliopedia::$__insertID = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__numRows = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__affectedRows = NULL
Bibliopedia::$__findMethods = array(
"all" => true,
"first" => true,
"count" => true,
"neighbors" => true,
"list" => true
)
Bibliopedia::$_log = NULL
Bibliopedia::call__()
Bibliopedia::bind()
Bibliopedia::bindModel()
Bibliopedia::unbindModel()
Bibliopedia::setSource()
Bibliopedia::set()
Bibliopedia::deconstruct()
Bibliopedia::schema()
Bibliopedia::loadInfo()
Bibliopedia::getColumnTypes()
Bibliopedia::getColumnType()
Bibliopedia::hasField()
Bibliopedia::create()
Bibliopedia::read()
Bibliopedia::field()
Bibliopedia::saveField()
Bibliopedia::save()
Bibliopedia::updateCounterCache()
Bibliopedia::saveAll()
Bibliopedia::updateAll()
Bibliopedia::remove()
Bibliopedia::del()
Bibliopedia::delete()
Bibliopedia::deleteAll()
Bibliopedia::exists()
Bibliopedia::hasAny()
Bibliopedia::find()
Bibliopedia::findAll()
Bibliopedia::execute()
Bibliopedia::findCount()
Bibliopedia::isUnique()
Bibliopedia::findAllThreaded()
Bibliopedia::findNeighbours()
Bibliopedia::query()
Bibliopedia::validates()
Bibliopedia::invalidFields()
Bibliopedia::invalidate()
Bibliopedia::isForeignKey()
Bibliopedia::getDisplayField()
Bibliopedia::generateList()
Bibliopedia::escapeField()
Bibliopedia::getID()
Bibliopedia::normalizeFindParams()
Bibliopedia::getLastInsertID()
Bibliopedia::getInsertID()
Bibliopedia::setInsertID()
Bibliopedia::getNumRows()
Bibliopedia::getAffectedRows()
Bibliopedia::setDataSource()
Bibliopedia::getDataSource()
Bibliopedia::getAssociated()
Bibliopedia::joinModel()
Bibliopedia::beforeFind()
Bibliopedia::afterFind()
Bibliopedia::beforeSave()
Bibliopedia::afterSave()
Bibliopedia::beforeDelete()
Bibliopedia::afterDelete()
Bibliopedia::beforeValidate()
Bibliopedia::onError()
Bibliopedia::overload()
Bibliopedia::Object()
Bibliopedia::toString()
Bibliopedia::requestAction()
Bibliopedia::log()
Bibliopedia::cakeError()
AuthorsController::view()
AuthorsController::create()
AuthorsController::edit()
AuthorsController::biography()
AuthorsController::submitTerm()
AuthorsController::submit()
AuthorsController::home()
AuthorsController::login()
AuthorsController::logout()
AuthorsController::admin_review()
AuthorsController::admin_reviewTerm()
AuthorsController::beforeFilter()
AuthorsController::checkSession()
AuthorsController::checkPermission()
AuthorsController::error()
AuthorsController::constructClasses()
AuthorsController::loadModel()
AuthorsController::redirect()
AuthorsController::set()
AuthorsController::setAction()
AuthorsController::isAuthorized()
AuthorsController::validate()
AuthorsController::validateErrors()
AuthorsController::render()
AuthorsController::referer()
AuthorsController::disableCache()
AuthorsController::flash()
AuthorsController::postConditions()
AuthorsController::cleanUpFields()
AuthorsController::paginate()
AuthorsController::beforeRender()
AuthorsController::afterFilter()
AuthorsController::Object()
AuthorsController::toString()
AuthorsController::requestAction()
AuthorsController::log()
AuthorsController::cakeError()
View::$loaded = array(
"html" => HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError(),
"form" => FormHelper
FormHelper::$helpers = array(
"Html"
)
FormHelper::$fieldset = array(
"fields" => array(),
"key" => "id",
"validates" => array()
)
FormHelper::$__options = array(
"day" => array(),
"minute" => array(),
"hour" => array(),
"month" => array(),
"year" => array(),
"meridian" => array()
)
FormHelper::$fields = array()
FormHelper::$requestType = NULL
FormHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
FormHelper::$webroot = "/"
FormHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
FormHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
FormHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
FormHelper::$action = "view"
FormHelper::$plugin = NULL
FormHelper::$data = NULL
FormHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
FormHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
FormHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
FormHelper::$tags = array()
FormHelper::$__tainted = NULL
FormHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
FormHelper::$_log = NULL
FormHelper::$Html = HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError()
FormHelper::create()
FormHelper::end()
FormHelper::secure()
FormHelper::isFieldError()
FormHelper::error()
FormHelper::label()
FormHelper::inputs()
FormHelper::input()
FormHelper::checkbox()
FormHelper::radio()
FormHelper::text()
FormHelper::password()
FormHelper::textarea()
FormHelper::hidden()
FormHelper::file()
FormHelper::button()
FormHelper::submit()
FormHelper::submitImage()
FormHelper::select()
FormHelper::day()
FormHelper::year()
FormHelper::month()
FormHelper::hour()
FormHelper::minute()
FormHelper::meridian()
FormHelper::dateTime()
FormHelper::get__()
FormHelper::set__()
FormHelper::call__()
FormHelper::loadConfig()
FormHelper::url()
FormHelper::webroot()
FormHelper::clean()
FormHelper::setFormTag()
FormHelper::setEntity()
FormHelper::model()
FormHelper::modelID()
FormHelper::field()
FormHelper::tagIsInvalid()
FormHelper::domId()
FormHelper::value()
FormHelper::addClass()
FormHelper::output()
FormHelper::assign()
FormHelper::beforeRender()
FormHelper::afterRender()
FormHelper::beforeLayout()
FormHelper::afterLayout()
FormHelper::overload()
FormHelper::Object()
FormHelper::toString()
FormHelper::requestAction()
FormHelper::log()
FormHelper::cakeError(),
"session" => SessionHelper
SessionHelper::$helpers = NULL
SessionHelper::$__active = true
SessionHelper::$valid = false
SessionHelper::$error = false
SessionHelper::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionHelper::$path = false
SessionHelper::$lastError = NULL
SessionHelper::$security = NULL
SessionHelper::$time = 1337368928
SessionHelper::$sessionTime = false
SessionHelper::$watchKeys = array()
SessionHelper::$id = NULL
SessionHelper::$_log = NULL
SessionHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
SessionHelper::$webroot = "/"
SessionHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
SessionHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
SessionHelper::$action = "view"
SessionHelper::$data = NULL
SessionHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
SessionHelper::$plugin = NULL
SessionHelper::activate()
SessionHelper::read()
SessionHelper::check()
SessionHelper::error()
SessionHelper::flash()
SessionHelper::valid()
SessionHelper::write()
SessionHelper::id()
SessionHelper::start()
SessionHelper::started()
SessionHelper::del()
SessionHelper::watch()
SessionHelper::ignore()
SessionHelper::destroy()
SessionHelper::renew()
SessionHelper::Object()
SessionHelper::toString()
SessionHelper::requestAction()
SessionHelper::log()
SessionHelper::cakeError()
)
View::$modelScope = false
View::$model = NULL
View::$association = NULL
View::$field = NULL
View::$fieldSuffix = NULL
View::$modelId = NULL
View::$uuids = array()
View::$__passedVars = array(
"viewVars",
"action",
"autoLayout",
"autoRender",
"ext",
"base",
"webroot",
"helpers",
"here",
"layout",
"name",
"pageTitle",
"layoutPath",
"viewPath",
"params",
"data",
"webservices",
"plugin",
"passedArgs",
"cacheAction"
)
View::$__scripts = array()
View::$__paths = array(
"/home/pulpittoday/pulpittoday.com/app/views/",
"/home/pulpittoday/pulpittoday.com/cake/libs/view/"
)
View::$_log = NULL
View::$webroot = "/"
View::$webservices = NULL
View::element()
View::render()
View::renderElement()
View::renderLayout()
View::renderCache()
View::getVars()
View::getVar()
View::addScript()
View::uuid()
View::entity()
View::set()
View::error()
View::Object()
View::toString()
View::requestAction()
View::log()
View::cakeError()
$___viewFn = "/home/pulpittoday/pulpittoday.com/app/views/authors/view.ctp"
$___dataForView = array(
"biblebooks" => array(
"Genesis",
"Exodus",
"Leviticus",
"Numbers",
"Deuteronomy",
"Joshua",
"Judges",
"Ruth",
"1 Samuel",
"2 Samuel",
"1 Kings",
"2 Kings",
"1 Chronicles",
"2 Chronicles",
"Ezra",
"Nehemiah",
"Esther",
"Job",
"Psalms",
"Proverbs",
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"description" => "Many people, whether they are seekers or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world. Despite their doubts, one fact comes through loud and clear, that is, God prevails upon creation! If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe, He certainly guides and controls it.",
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
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<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
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<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
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<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
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<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
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<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
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<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
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<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
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<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
"date_authored" => "2009-03-18",
"keywords" => "a:1:{i:77;s:0:"";}",
"featured" => "1",
"status" => "approved",
"created" => "2009-03-18 12:51:46",
"modified" => "2012-04-21 08:24:02"
),
"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
"email_address" => "robertdpace@pulpittoday.com",
"username" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "efbfbca27c7a3ef684c0e1f993c3501a"
)
),
array(
"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "203",
"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "2",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_start_verse" => "17",
"scripture_end_book" => "2",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "40",
"scripture_end_verse" => "34",
"description" => "[empty string]",
"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
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"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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FormHelper::output()
FormHelper::assign()
FormHelper::beforeRender()
FormHelper::afterRender()
FormHelper::beforeLayout()
FormHelper::afterLayout()
FormHelper::overload()
FormHelper::Object()
FormHelper::toString()
FormHelper::requestAction()
FormHelper::log()
FormHelper::cakeError(),
"Session" => SessionHelper
SessionHelper::$helpers = NULL
SessionHelper::$__active = true
SessionHelper::$valid = false
SessionHelper::$error = false
SessionHelper::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionHelper::$path = false
SessionHelper::$lastError = NULL
SessionHelper::$security = NULL
SessionHelper::$time = 1337368928
SessionHelper::$sessionTime = false
SessionHelper::$watchKeys = array()
SessionHelper::$id = NULL
SessionHelper::$_log = NULL
SessionHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
SessionHelper::$webroot = "/"
SessionHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
SessionHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
SessionHelper::$action = "view"
SessionHelper::$data = NULL
SessionHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
SessionHelper::$plugin = NULL
SessionHelper::activate()
SessionHelper::read()
SessionHelper::check()
SessionHelper::error()
SessionHelper::flash()
SessionHelper::valid()
SessionHelper::write()
SessionHelper::id()
SessionHelper::start()
SessionHelper::started()
SessionHelper::del()
SessionHelper::watch()
SessionHelper::ignore()
SessionHelper::destroy()
SessionHelper::renew()
SessionHelper::Object()
SessionHelper::toString()
SessionHelper::requestAction()
SessionHelper::log()
SessionHelper::cakeError()
)
$helper = SessionHelper
SessionHelper::$helpers = NULL
SessionHelper::$__active = true
SessionHelper::$valid = false
SessionHelper::$error = false
SessionHelper::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionHelper::$path = false
SessionHelper::$lastError = NULL
SessionHelper::$security = NULL
SessionHelper::$time = 1337368928
SessionHelper::$sessionTime = false
SessionHelper::$watchKeys = array()
SessionHelper::$id = NULL
SessionHelper::$_log = NULL
SessionHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
SessionHelper::$webroot = "/"
SessionHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
SessionHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
SessionHelper::$action = "view"
SessionHelper::$data = NULL
SessionHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
SessionHelper::$plugin = NULL
SessionHelper::activate()
SessionHelper::read()
SessionHelper::check()
SessionHelper::error()
SessionHelper::flash()
SessionHelper::valid()
SessionHelper::write()
SessionHelper::id()
SessionHelper::start()
SessionHelper::started()
SessionHelper::del()
SessionHelper::watch()
SessionHelper::ignore()
SessionHelper::destroy()
SessionHelper::renew()
SessionHelper::Object()
SessionHelper::toString()
SessionHelper::requestAction()
SessionHelper::log()
SessionHelper::cakeError()
$camelBackedHelper = "session"
$html = HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError()
$form = FormHelper
FormHelper::$helpers = array(
"Html"
)
FormHelper::$fieldset = array(
"fields" => array(),
"key" => "id",
"validates" => array()
)
FormHelper::$__options = array(
"day" => array(),
"minute" => array(),
"hour" => array(),
"month" => array(),
"year" => array(),
"meridian" => array()
)
FormHelper::$fields = array()
FormHelper::$requestType = NULL
FormHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
FormHelper::$webroot = "/"
FormHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
FormHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
FormHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
FormHelper::$action = "view"
FormHelper::$plugin = NULL
FormHelper::$data = NULL
FormHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
FormHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
FormHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
FormHelper::$tags = array()
FormHelper::$__tainted = NULL
FormHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
FormHelper::$_log = NULL
FormHelper::$Html = HtmlHelper
HtmlHelper::$tags = array(
"meta" => "<meta%s/>",
"metalink" => "<link href="%s"%s/>",
"link" => "<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>",
"mailto" => "<a href="mailto:%s" %s>%s</a>",
"form" => "<form %s>",
"formend" => "</form>",
"input" => "<input name="%s" %s/>",
"textarea" => "<textarea name="%s" %s>%s</textarea>",
"hidden" => "<input type="hidden" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkbox" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s" %s/>",
"checkboxmultiple" => "<input type="checkbox" name="%s[]"%s />",
"radio" => "<input type="radio" name="%s" id="%s" %s />%s",
"selectstart" => "<select name="%s"%s>",
"selectmultiplestart" => "<select name="%s[]"%s>",
"selectempty" => "<option value=""%s> </option>",
"selectoption" => "<option value="%s"%s>%s</option>",
"selectend" => "</select>",
"optiongroup" => "<optgroup label="%s"%s>",
"optiongroupend" => "</optgroup>",
"checkboxmultiplestart" => "[empty string]",
"checkboxmultipleend" => "[empty string]",
"password" => "<input type="password" name="%s" %s/>",
"file" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"file_no_model" => "<input type="file" name="%s" %s/>",
"submit" => "<input type="submit" %s/>",
"submitimage" => "<input type="image" src="%s" %s/>",
"button" => "<input type="%s" %s/>",
"image" => "<img src="%s" %s/>",
"tableheader" => "<th%s>%s</th>",
"tableheaderrow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"tablecell" => "<td%s>%s</td>",
"tablerow" => "<tr%s>%s</tr>",
"block" => "<div%s>%s</div>",
"blockstart" => "<div%s>",
"blockend" => "</div>",
"para" => "<p%s>%s</p>",
"parastart" => "<p%s>",
"label" => "<label for="%s"%s>%s</label>",
"fieldset" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>%s</fieldset>",
"fieldsetstart" => "<fieldset><legend>%s</legend>",
"fieldsetend" => "</fieldset>",
"legend" => "<legend>%s</legend>",
"css" => "<link rel="%s" type="text/css" href="%s" %s/>",
"style" => "<style type="text/css"%s>%s</style>",
"charset" => "<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=%s" />",
"ul" => "<ul%s>%s</ul>",
"ol" => "<ol%s>%s</ol>",
"li" => "<li%s>%s</li>",
"error" => "<div%s>%s</div>"
)
HtmlHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
HtmlHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
HtmlHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
HtmlHelper::$action = "view"
HtmlHelper::$data = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_crumbs = array()
HtmlHelper::$__docTypes = array(
"html4-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">",
"html4-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">",
"html4-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml-strict" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">",
"xhtml-trans" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">",
"xhtml-frame" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Frameset//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-frameset.dtd">",
"xhtml11" => "<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">"
)
HtmlHelper::$helpers = NULL
HtmlHelper::$webroot = "/"
HtmlHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
HtmlHelper::$plugin = NULL
HtmlHelper::$namedArgs = NULL
HtmlHelper::$argSeparator = NULL
HtmlHelper::$validationErrors = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__tainted = NULL
HtmlHelper::$__cleaned = NULL
HtmlHelper::$_log = NULL
HtmlHelper::addCrumb()
HtmlHelper::docType()
HtmlHelper::meta()
HtmlHelper::charset()
HtmlHelper::link()
HtmlHelper::css()
HtmlHelper::style()
HtmlHelper::getCrumbs()
HtmlHelper::image()
HtmlHelper::radio()
HtmlHelper::tableHeaders()
HtmlHelper::tableCells()
HtmlHelper::div()
HtmlHelper::para()
HtmlHelper::nestedList()
HtmlHelper::password()
HtmlHelper::textarea()
HtmlHelper::checkbox()
HtmlHelper::hidden()
HtmlHelper::input()
HtmlHelper::tagValue()
HtmlHelper::validate()
HtmlHelper::validateErrors()
HtmlHelper::tagErrorMsg()
HtmlHelper::get__()
HtmlHelper::set__()
HtmlHelper::call__()
HtmlHelper::loadConfig()
HtmlHelper::url()
HtmlHelper::webroot()
HtmlHelper::clean()
HtmlHelper::setFormTag()
HtmlHelper::setEntity()
HtmlHelper::model()
HtmlHelper::modelID()
HtmlHelper::field()
HtmlHelper::tagIsInvalid()
HtmlHelper::domId()
HtmlHelper::value()
HtmlHelper::addClass()
HtmlHelper::output()
HtmlHelper::assign()
HtmlHelper::beforeRender()
HtmlHelper::afterRender()
HtmlHelper::beforeLayout()
HtmlHelper::afterLayout()
HtmlHelper::overload()
HtmlHelper::Object()
HtmlHelper::toString()
HtmlHelper::requestAction()
HtmlHelper::log()
HtmlHelper::cakeError()
FormHelper::create()
FormHelper::end()
FormHelper::secure()
FormHelper::isFieldError()
FormHelper::error()
FormHelper::label()
FormHelper::inputs()
FormHelper::input()
FormHelper::checkbox()
FormHelper::radio()
FormHelper::text()
FormHelper::password()
FormHelper::textarea()
FormHelper::hidden()
FormHelper::file()
FormHelper::button()
FormHelper::submit()
FormHelper::submitImage()
FormHelper::select()
FormHelper::day()
FormHelper::year()
FormHelper::month()
FormHelper::hour()
FormHelper::minute()
FormHelper::meridian()
FormHelper::dateTime()
FormHelper::get__()
FormHelper::set__()
FormHelper::call__()
FormHelper::loadConfig()
FormHelper::url()
FormHelper::webroot()
FormHelper::clean()
FormHelper::setFormTag()
FormHelper::setEntity()
FormHelper::model()
FormHelper::modelID()
FormHelper::field()
FormHelper::tagIsInvalid()
FormHelper::domId()
FormHelper::value()
FormHelper::addClass()
FormHelper::output()
FormHelper::assign()
FormHelper::beforeRender()
FormHelper::afterRender()
FormHelper::beforeLayout()
FormHelper::afterLayout()
FormHelper::overload()
FormHelper::Object()
FormHelper::toString()
FormHelper::requestAction()
FormHelper::log()
FormHelper::cakeError()
$session = SessionHelper
SessionHelper::$helpers = NULL
SessionHelper::$__active = true
SessionHelper::$valid = false
SessionHelper::$error = false
SessionHelper::$_userAgent = "ea1dd982834959127ee8beee40759575"
SessionHelper::$path = false
SessionHelper::$lastError = NULL
SessionHelper::$security = NULL
SessionHelper::$time = 1337368928
SessionHelper::$sessionTime = false
SessionHelper::$watchKeys = array()
SessionHelper::$id = NULL
SessionHelper::$_log = NULL
SessionHelper::$base = "[empty string]"
SessionHelper::$webroot = "/"
SessionHelper::$here = "/authors/view/"
SessionHelper::$params = array(
"pass" => array(),
"named" => array(),
"controller" => "authors",
"action" => "view",
"plugin" => null,
"form" => array(),
"url" => array(
"url" => "authors/view/"
),
"bare" => 0,
"webservices" => null,
"models" => array(
"Author",
"Sermon",
"Teaching",
"Apologetic",
"Keyword",
"KeywordIndex",
"Bibliopedia"
)
)
SessionHelper::$action = "view"
SessionHelper::$data = NULL
SessionHelper::$themeWeb = NULL
SessionHelper::$plugin = NULL
SessionHelper::activate()
SessionHelper::read()
SessionHelper::check()
SessionHelper::error()
SessionHelper::flash()
SessionHelper::valid()
SessionHelper::write()
SessionHelper::id()
SessionHelper::start()
SessionHelper::started()
SessionHelper::del()
SessionHelper::watch()
SessionHelper::ignore()
SessionHelper::destroy()
SessionHelper::renew()
SessionHelper::Object()
SessionHelper::toString()
SessionHelper::requestAction()
SessionHelper::log()
SessionHelper::cakeError()
$biblebooks = array(
"Genesis",
"Exodus",
"Leviticus",
"Numbers",
"Deuteronomy",
"Joshua",
"Judges",
"Ruth",
"1 Samuel",
"2 Samuel",
"1 Kings",
"2 Kings",
"1 Chronicles",
"2 Chronicles",
"Ezra",
"Nehemiah",
"Esther",
"Job",
"Psalms",
"Proverbs",
"Ecclesiastes",
"Song of Solomon",
"Isaiah",
"Jeremiah",
"Lamentations",
"Ezekiel",
"Daniel",
"Hosea",
"Joel",
"Amos",
"Obadiah",
"Jonah",
"Micah",
"Nahum",
"Habakkuk",
"Zephaniah",
"Haggai",
"Zechariah",
"Malachi",
"Matthew",
"Mark",
"Luke",
"John",
"Acts",
"Romans",
"1 Corinthians",
"2 Corinthians",
"Galatians",
"Ephesians",
"Philippians",
"Colossians",
"1 Thessalonians",
"2 Thessalonians",
"1 Timothy",
"2 Timothy",
"Titus",
"Philemon",
"Hebrews",
"James",
"1 Peter",
"2 Peter",
"1 John",
"2 John",
"3 John",
"Jude",
"Revelation"
)
$featuredMessages = array(
array(
"Sermon" => array(
"id" => "23",
"title" => "God at Work",
"author_id" => "1",
"scripture_start_book" => "1",
"scripture_start_chapter" => "5",
"scripture_start_verse" => "16",
"scripture_end_book" => "1",
"scripture_end_chapter" => "5",
"scripture_end_verse" => "16",
"description" => "Many people, whether they are seekers or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world. Despite their doubts, one fact comes through loud and clear, that is, God prevails upon creation! If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe, He certainly guides and controls it.",
"sermon" => "<p>
<meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document" />
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12" />
<meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12" />
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cuser%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" />
<link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cuser%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" />
<link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cuser%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" />
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
panose-1:2 11 6 2 3 5 4 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:swiss;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-2147480833 14699 0 0 191 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:14.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;}
h2
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-next:Normal;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:justify;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
page-break-after:avoid;
mso-outline-level:2;
font-size:14.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;
mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;
font-style:italic;
mso-bidi-font-style:normal;}
h3
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-style-next:Normal;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.5in;
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<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Pre-Scripture Remarks <?xml:namespace prefix = o>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong>
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<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Many people, whether they are unbelievers, seekers, or skeptics, wonder if God is actively involved in the affairs of the world.<span> </span>While they would like to believe He is eminently involved with life, they are unsure.<span> </span>But one fact comes through loud and clear for any serious student of the Bible.<span> </span>That is, God prevails upon creation!<span> </span>If God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, created the universe He certainly guides and controls it.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>How does manage His creation? He works and interacts with man through the Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ.<span> </span>Jesus said, "My father works, and I work."<span> </span>Whatever Jesus did 2000 years ago perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us today.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Read Text: John 5:16-18</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In high school literature I studied eighteenth century pantheism.<span> </span>Pantheism is the twisted thought that God and nature are homogenous.<span> </span>God is a tree, a fish, the ocean, the sun, and so on.<span> </span>It teaches that everything is divine and God can't be separated from the cosmos.<span> </span>Actually, pantheism denies three facts about God:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>First, it denies His personality.<span> </span>He has no love, mercy, emotion, goodness, charm, or charisma.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Second, it denies His transcendence—that He is infinitely superior to creation.<span> </span>And Scripture reveals Him as the inscrutable God that is beyond our character or comprehension.<span> </span>Although we're <em>"made in His image,"</em> He's wholly other from us!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And thirdly, when pantheism makes God a composite of creation it denies His ability to contravene or impose His will over nature's course.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But as I stated in our opening remarks, if God, in His omnipotence and wisdom, could create the universe He can guide and control the universe.<span> </span>Here is what many Bible skeptics want to know: Is there a God, and if so, is He loving and dynamically operative with men?<span> </span>Does He care about us and want to lift our burdens?<span> </span>Yes!<span> </span>Jesus said, <em>"My father works, and I work."</em><span> </span>And whatever Jesus did perfectly reflected His Father's intentions for us.<span> </span>And when you read the Gospels you discover what Jesus did:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Matthew records Him circumventing the laws of nature by calming storms, feeding the multitudes, and x-raying the ocean to help His disciples haul in loads of fish.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>In Mark's Gospel he records Christ's unrelenting work of <em>"signs and wonders"</em> to heal the sick and deliver the demonized.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Luke pictures Him defending the weak and stemming the tide of oppression.<span> </span>He was there for sinners (15:1), lepers (17:12), beggars (16:20), those indebted to the IRS, and in his final hour the thief on the cross (23:43).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And John says Jesus came to manifest His Father's glory to the world.<span> </span>And we see Him revealing His Father to John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the woman at the Well, Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a host of others.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God through Christ shows He's involved with creation.<span> </span>He's involved at every level and in every dimension and doesn't leave anything untouched.<span> </span>Since that's so, the first point of today's message notes that God's work is sovereign.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-style: normal">I.<span> </span>God's Work is Sovereign
<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let's restate it this way: God's work is autonomous, dominating, and universal.<span> </span>He rules creation without consulting tribunals, parliaments, or committees and acts without restriction.<span> </span>That's the claim of Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets.<span> </span>And it's the only reasonable conclusion from logic: God wouldn't be God if He were subject to any outside force.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>There's an infinite difference between a king's sovereignty and God's sovereignty.<span> </span>For example, a king's power is never truly sovereign although it's said to be.<span> </span>An earthly king is bound by many limitations: The scope of his kingdom is limited by borders; his resources are limited; his intelligence is limited; His ability to recruit others and rally the forces is limited.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But these restrictions never apply to God.<span> </span>The scope of His rule is boundless.<span> </span>He has infinite resources.<span> </span>He's complete in wisdom.<span> </span>He never grows weary.<span> </span>And there's none in the ranks of men or angels He can't conscript for service!<span> </span>He proceeds unabated at every turn:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 135:6 says: <em>"The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Isaiah 46:10 says: <em>"My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.<span> </span>(11) . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel said: <em>"His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."
<o:p></o:p></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But the question arises, If God rules the world why all the rebellion and suffering?<span> </span>That is a legitimate question because sometimes evil and mayhem do appear unchecked:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>We have miracle drugs yet the scourge of disease plagues nations.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The government legislates crime bills and fills the streets with cops but America is filled with lawbreakers.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And in recent years natural disasters have been nearly apocalyptic. Killer storms, floods, and earthquakes have crisscrossed our land.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But let me reiterate: God is in control!<span> </span>And nothing affects this planet without first gaining divine permission. Everything that happens, good or evil, works for God's glory and <em>"the good of those that love Him."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the incredible disclosure found in the book of Revelation.<span> </span>The four horsemen are loosed, the vials poured out, the seals pealed away, and the world reels with vengeance.<span> </span>When you read Revelation you see worldwide anarchy, unbridled disease and disaster, global darkness, and nuclear devastation erasing two-thirds of humanity.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>But it's all part of God's final chapter in exposing Satan, expunging sin, and renewing the earth.<span> </span>Satan appears to hold sway but in the end you realize God was always in control.<span> </span>And that's the way it's always been:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Genesis 6 reveals God's sovereignty when the Flood submerged the entire civilization except one divinely chosen family.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Exodus 14 expresses God's sovereignty when Pharaoh assumes he has Israel permanently trapped.<span> </span>But in one night the death angel met with Egypt's firstborn and the entire country was made a mortuary.<span> </span>And within hours he watched God open the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Daniel 4 announces God's sovereignty when Nebuchadnezzar disavowed God.<span> </span>And according to Daniel's prophecy he was struck with a dementia known as lycanthrope and prowled around like a wild animal.<span> </span>Sovereignty manifested again seven years later when God restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingship.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>You can be assured of three facts when you recognize God's sovereignty:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><span>One, you don't have to retaliate against your enemies, God will order their due.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Two, as Philippians 4:19 promises you can be assured God will supply <em>"all your needs according to His riches in glory."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And three, you can be assured of attaining your destiny because <em>‘promotion comes neither from the east or west, promotion comes from the Lord.'</em><span> </span>God is always in control!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>God is at work, and it's a sovereign, uncontestable work.<span> </span>But His work is not only sovereign, secondly, God's work is providential.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-style: normal">II.<span> </span>God's Work is Providential
<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>The fact that God rules without restraint is wonderful.<span> </span>But tantamount to that is His providence. <span> </span>Providence is when God's gathers His attributes, the complete essence of His being, and manages creation.<span> </span>In other words, His goodness, power, love, foreknowledge, wisdom, and mercy all coordinate to execute His purposes.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>That's why Proverbs 16:9 says: <em>"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."<span> </span></em>And it's why Solomon noted: <em>"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>In some mysterious fashion, God orders and maintains our life even in the most chaotic and perplexing circumstances.<span> </span>There's an encapsulating bubble of God's grace that always surrounding Christians.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Let's illustrate this through Joseph.<span> </span>I've often identified with this guy—used, abused, accused, and confused.<span> </span>Can anyone relate to that?<span> </span>As a teenager God revealed that Joseph would be a means of deliverance for his family.<span> </span>But his brothers ridiculed him and sold him into Egyptian slavery.<span> </span>In Egypt he suffered false accusation, was imprisoned, and forgotten.<span> </span>As Joseph's life unfolded it looked like everything happened in the precise manner Joseph would have designed it himself, doesn't it? Of course not!<span> </span>But the good news about God's work of providence is, nothing can undermine it—not his betraying brothers, not forgetful friends, not foes, not lies, not expatriation—nothing!<span> </span>It's impossible!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Philippians 1:6 says: <em>"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>The longer you serve God the more you understand His providence.<span> </span>Years later, after God promoted Joseph to Pharaoh's chief assistant, his father Jacob died.<span> </span>And his brothers immediately imagined the worst.<span> </span>They thought Joseph would retaliate for their treacherous actions of selling him into Egyptian slavery years earlier so they threw themselves before him and begged for mercy.<span> </span>But listen to Joseph's reaction in Genesis 50:19-21:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span>"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?<span> </span>(20) You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.<span> </span>(21) So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."</span></em><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph finally understood that God had been in control all along; that providence had governed Joseph even through his hardships.<span> </span>And do you see what this realization brought Joseph?<span> </span>Joseph didn't seek retribution and throw them in jail.<span> </span>Joseph was filled with God's peace!<span> </span>When people are able to recognize the course of their life has been piloted by God it brings peace.<span> </span>Isaiah 32:17 says: <em>"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Let me do some <em>liberation preaching</em>.<span> </span>Some of you need to be freed from thinking you are primarily responsible for changing the climate around you.<span> </span>And when it's possible to change the climate around us for the glory of God we should.<span> </span>But I want you to realize something.<span> </span>You can't always change the climate.<span> </span>At times all you can do is poke your finger into the wind and gauge the temperature.<span> </span>Climate control is up to God.<span> </span>But the fact is, regardless of how wonderfully you're managing life or how out of control it is, God is working for you—now!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Think about it.<span> </span>You wouldn't get in the fiery furnace unless God arrests you, shackles you, and shoves you in!<span> </span>And once you're in the fire there's nothing you can do about the temperature!<span> </span>You wouldn't choose to jump into the lion's den.<span> </span>But once you're there all you can do is trust God to control the lions.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>For years I didn't know what it meant to rest in God's providence concerning His plan for my life.<span> </span>I thought God was handcuffed to work through me if I wasn't praying with fiery intensity, and fasting until my stomach twisted with knots.<span> </span>Whatever successes occurred were accompanied by a sense of, "Whoa, I had to work for that one!"<span> </span>And on most occasions I felt cheated by the results.<span> </span>I thought "Well, I could have done better.<span> </span>I should have worked harder, prayed more, or fasted longer."<span> </span><em>And I was going beyond the call of duty!</em><span> </span>I didn't comprehend Psalm 47:4 that says: "<em>He has chosen our inheritance for us."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Please hear me, you are not <em>fully responsible</em> for making anything happen or seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.<span> </span>The almighty God who created you and loves you with infinite love takes responsibility for you! <span> </span>God never requires anybody with carrying the full load.<span> </span><em>He works in partnership with men!</em><span> </span>He has requirements of us—He wants faith, prayer, and obedience—but God is ultimately responsible for working the miracle, not us.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joseph couldn't single-handedly achieve his dreams and we can't either!<span> </span>It takes God.<span> </span>You are asking for serious emotional and spiritual trouble if you shoulder the bulk of the burden to accomplish God's purposes.<span> </span>You're inviting one of two dreadful evils: <em>pride or condemnation.</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Pride infects us when we assume we are the reason for our successes.<span> </span>It's the attitude that says: ‘I made it work.<span> </span>I worked the miracle.<span> </span>I landed the job.'<span> </span>That's pride and God sets Himself against the prideful.<span> </span>The fact is, God gave us our health, He instilled us with soundness of mind, and He created us with our talents and the personality to find favor with men.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>On the other hand condemnation overwhelms us when we assume plans floundered because of our incompetence—even though we know we fully followed God.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>I'm not suggesting that you become complacent and abdicate your spiritual responsibility.<span> </span>I've already said that God wants us exercising faith, prayer, and obedience.<span> </span>I'm saying our victories in life are primarily due to God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that works in our behalf.<span> </span>Once you realize this you are spiritually and emotionally free to accept whatever providence produces.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Relying on providence is this: It's doing your best while understanding that God is responsible for the outcome. We work but our works never bring the victory.<span> </span>Turn to 1 Corinthians 3:5 and let's read:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>1 Corinthians 3:5</span></strong><span> says: <em>"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-- as the Lord has assigned to each his task.<span> </span>(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. (7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Moses could shake his staff over Egypt but only God could activate its power.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Joshua can march around Jericho but only God could flatten the walls.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The Apostles could preach and lay hands on the sick but only God could regenerate hearts and cure the afflicted.<span> </span>Man works, but God empowers the work.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Third, God's work is not only sovereign and providential, but, God's work is personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h4><span>III.<span> </span>God's Work is Personal
<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you ever noticed how the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus?<span> </span>He was: moved with compassion (MAR 1:41), stunned with wonder (MAR 6:6), filled with affection (MAR 10:21), wearied (MAR 4:38), angered (MAT 21:12-13), and pained (JOH 11:35, 38).<span> </span>He experienced loneliness (MAT 27:46) and even bitter disappointment (MAR 3:5).<span> </span>Jesus experienced a wide range of human emotions.<span> </span>And our almighty Creator became <em>"bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh"</em> so He could relate to us on personal level.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><span><font size="4"><strong>(Illustration)</strong></font> <font size="4">In 1993 about 600 would-be lawyers convened for the California Bar Exam. During the testing a fifty-one year-old man suffered a seizure. Of the 600 people taking the exam only two stopped working to offer help. For thirty minutes those two people administered CPR until paramedics arrived. The others continued working with hardly a glance in their direction. Ironically, ethics was one focus of the exam!</font> </span><span><font size="2">(Adapted from a sermon by Richard J. Fairchild, copyright, 1997.)</font>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p></o:p>Christ isn't like that.<span> </span>His work is sovereign and providential but it's also personal.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was thronged at Jerusalem but He was caring enough to look past the swarm and call down one man perched in a tree.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>The crowds crushed Him at Galilee but He was sensitive enough to notice a woman's gentle tug on His robe for healing.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>He was swarmed at Jericho but He deviated from His trip to restore a blind man's sight.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And at Nain He cared enough to stop a funeral procession and resurrect a grieving mother's son.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Nobody is obscured from Christ's view.<span> </span>His work is massive but it's also personal.<span> </span>He always takes time to invest in individuals.<span> </span>And He's actively at work in everybody.<span> </span>Turn to Jeremiah 18.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>Jeremiah 18:1-6</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>It's comforting to know we aren't aimlessly wandering through life without purpose or destination.<span> </span>The divine architect leaves nothing to chance.<span> </span>He's detailed a blueprint for everyone.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-style: normal">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>As I mentioned, life occasionally spin out of control.<span> </span>The fog rolls in and our compass loses its magnetism for direction.<span> </span>It's times like these when people wonder if life has meaning or order.<span> </span>Let me assure you that God, who configured the constellations, has intricately ordered a plan for those He created <em>"in His image."</em><span> </span>The Scriptures affirm a personalized blueprint for man:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>Psalm 47:4 says: "<em>He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin-left: 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span>And Ephesians 1:11 says: "<em>In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."</em>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>Just as there can be no astronomy without stars or botany without flowers or geology without rocks there can be no theology without God's personal attention upon us.<span> </span>He intervenes at every level and I hope you see that our great God is indeed at work for your welfare!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>",
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"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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"title" => "Can You Walk With God?",
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"sermon" => "<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt"></span><span><font size="3">Years ago cultural anthropologists understood that man’s basic desire
is to worship whatever he perceives to be his god.<span> </span>But more recently these anthropologists
discovered another equally important fact.<span> </span>Their research has revealed that man not only desires to worship his god
but man has an innate desire to enter into his god’s presence and <em>experience</em> and interact with him.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
<o:p></o:p></font></span>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><br />
<font size="3">
That’s amazing, because I don’t believe these anthropologists were reading the
Bible when they made their discovery.<span> </span>But incredibly enough they discovered a divine truth! God indeed created
man with the yearning to know Him and fellowship with Him on a deeply personal
level.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">This is precisely what God ordained in the Garden of Eden when He
walked with Adam in the “cool of the day.” In fact, walking with God is vitally
important to our personal welfare and God used OT Israel to teach us this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I want you to recall the point in Hebrew history when God delivered
Israel from Egyptian bondage. After 400 years of captivity, God opened the Red
Sea so that Israel could make their Exodus toward the Promised Land. And what a
miracle that was! But once they passed through the Red Sea, they had another
series of problems to surmount. They had to overcome the elements of the
wilderness!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Here were 3 million Jews trying to survive a forty-year journey through
a place with no paved road system, no natural water supply, no supermarkets, no
covering from the blazing sun and no trained military to guard them from
hostile nations. Israel was doomed unless God’s presence traveled with them!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus where God is ready to
teach Israel how to maintain the glory that they see radiating from the
Tabernacle. God’s instruction to Israel was so important that He ordained a
divine <em>process</em> to teach Israel this
lesson.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There are times when God’s instruction to us requires no more than a
simple word. But there are other occasions that are destined to become
life-changing, transformational experiences, and they require a <em>process</em> to impact us. And that’s what we
see here.<span> </span>Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">When Israel escaped Egypt and passed through the Red Sea they camped at
Mount Sinai for one year. During that year Moses received the Ten Commandments
and the instructions for building the Tabernacle.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That word Tabernacle means, “dwelling-place of God” and that’s what
happened immediately after the Tabernacle was constructed.<span> </span>God’s glory instantly rushed into it and the
people saw His presence pulsating from that place.<span> </span>A visible cloud of glory hovered over the
Tabernacle as proof that God had entered their camp.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And Israel wasn’t the only nation to witness it.<span> </span>Any nation that drew near could see this
phenomenon.<span> </span>It was a message to Israel
saying, “Draw near, I am your God.”<span> </span>And
it was a message to the nations saying, “Back off, these are my people.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But once God’s glory filled the Tabernacle, Israel needed one more
vital piece of information. <strong>God making a
guest appearance in the desert wasn’t enough; Israel needed to know how to maintain
God’s pronounced presence in the desert.</strong><span> </span>And this is what the book of Leviticus reveals.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Leviticus describes, in meticulous detail, how Israel was to worship
God and what type of sacrifices He required. It outlined the explicit
instructions of ministry for the priests and Levites.<span> </span>Leviticus dealt with dietary laws, social
laws, and personal hygiene. Leviticus is boring, arduous reading, but there is
a purpose for all of this. As Israel complied with these stringent guidelines,
God pledged that He would dwell among them.<span> </span>This is what Leviticus is all about.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">God said in <strong>Leviticus 26:3</strong>,
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my command . . . (11) I will
put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you, (12) <strong>I will walk among you</strong> and be your God,
and you will be my people” </font></span><span style="font-size: 7pt">(NIV).</span><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure after camping a year at Mount Sinai Israel was ready to
travel. Nothing seemed to be changing, the scenery stayed constant and they
were tired of camping at that dusty desert spot.<span> </span>But God wouldn’t let Israel take one more
step toward the Promised Land without showing them how to maintain His
presence.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><font size="3">And that’s why God ordained one
more month at Sinai!<span> </span>The Lord held
Israel in check for thirty more days, so Moses could write the book that held
the secret to God’s presence resting among His people.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Moses wrote Leviticus during that one month window, from the time God’s
presence rushed into the Tabernacle in Exodus, to when He led Israel toward
Canaan in Numbers.<span> </span>And in total, the <em>process</em> was a year and a month!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But the waiting process, regardless of how long it is, can radically
alter your life!<span> </span>One more day or one
more month or one more year of learning and discerning from God can transform
your life forever!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We may be ready to soar but God says, “Stay at Sinai and I’ll show you
a truth that will totally transform your life.”<span> </span>If that’s the case, don’t move an inch until God imparts the revelation.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Harbinger)</span></strong><span><span> </span>It is
not enough for you to accept Christ as your Savior and then merely exist.<span> </span>As the anthropologists discovered; God wants
you to experience Him and live with His dynamic presence in your life.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is more to Christianity than having your bills paid, driving a
nice automobile, carrying a cell phone, and having 120 channels of television
to entertain you. The greatest experience in life is living and walking with
God!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I know there are those that could possibly miss the point of this
message so let me be careful to point out something.<span> </span>We can’t excuse ourselves from pursuing God
by saying, “Well, God is omnipresent, He’s everywhere, so I know He’s with me.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>No! While God is omnipresent,
He is not always experientially present!</span></strong><span><span> </span>We know God is in this room
right now, but there are varying degrees of His presence that have been
experienced by each one here. Perhaps some here have already been deeply
touched by God, while others have had no inclination whatsoever to enter into
His presence.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s why the apostle James said: “Draw near
to God and He will draw near to you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We have to pursue God like the Psalmist says
the “deer pants after the water brook.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible asks us to “seek Him” and “long”
for Him and “search for Him” and “cry out” for Him.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>So
how do we live in a way that attracts God’s presence into the tabernacle of our
lives?<span> </span>We’ll answer that but first, I
want to assure you that it is possible to walk with God.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">I.<span> </span>It is Possible to Walk with God</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">We’ve heard the promise of Leviticus 26:3 that God would walk among His
people but this is more than an OT promise. When you open the New Testament you
see that Jesus gave Christians the same promise in John 14:23. Jesus said: “If
anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong>we will come to him and</strong> <strong>make our home with him.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Think about these promises! God tells OT Israel: “I will walk among
you”; and Jesus tells NT believers that He and the Father will: <strong>“make their home with us.”</strong><span> </span>But notice there is a caveat to walking with
God.<span> </span>In both Old and New Testaments
there is a stipulation that God issues.<span> </span>God “walks with us” and “makes His home with us” as we obey Him and
practice His Word.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">You see, we can’t assume God will share His secrets and let us lean on
His chest like the Apostle John did at the Last Supper, if we ignore His
commands and live as we please. We have to be willing to commit ourselves to
His will and ways.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">But this is the very issue that creates such problems.<span> </span>Many people lament that the Bible calls for a
standard of living that is too difficult to obey.<span> </span>They don’t believe they can live the
Christian life because the Bible requires resisting temptations that are
irresistible. They believe the world’s attraction and lure are too great.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">
<o:p></o:p></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
have a friend that faced this very dilemma.<span> </span>Bill lived in New Jersey and was a successful business owner.<span> </span>He wasn’t raised in church and wasn’t a
Christian, but God had given Bill a desire to share his blessings with others.
As he searched for a way to do so a friend told Bill about a Men of Action
mission’s trip to South America. And without knowing anyone on the mission’s
team he signed up!<span> </span>During the day the
team built a Christian school and at night they held worship services. By the
week’s end the Holy Spirit had deeply convicted Bill, but he still couldn’t
make a profession of faith. As Bill shared his testimony with me, he related
his primary stumbling block.<span> </span>His heart
was ready to accept Christ, but his mind told him he couldn’t forsake his sins.
He simply couldn’t envision himself overcoming a lifestyle to which he had
grown accustomed.<span> </span>So on the final day of
the mission’s trip Bill sat in a worship service telling himself he would not
walk the isle, but when the minister gave the invitation, something happened.
In his own words Bill said: “Against my will, I found myself stepping into the
isle and walking toward the altar where I accepted Christ as my Savior.”<span> </span>But here is the rest of the story that comes
several years after serving Christ. He said: “When I was wrestling with my
decision to accept Christ, I never once considered that the power of the Holy
Spirit would help me overcome temptation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He furnishes the power to resist sin,
overcome it and obey God. The Bible couldn’t be clearer in assuring us of that.
Let me show you.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Bible Example)</span></strong><span> Just before Moses died he assembled Israel
before the Tabernacle so they could renew their pledge to keep the
Covenant.<span> </span>Get this picture.<span> </span>Here was Israel standing before the
Tabernacle where God’s presence was literally radiating.<span> </span>And Moses says, “Israel, if you want this
glory to remain among you, you must obey God!”
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I’m sure Israel felt challenged to obey God’s Law just as we feel challenged
to obey God’s Word today, but Moses went out of his way to give them a great
promise. Listen to his words in Deuteronomy 30:11: <strong>“What I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you, nor is
it out of reach.”
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Did you hear that? Moses assures Israel that God will supply the
necessary power to obey any command He issues.<span> </span><strong>“What I am commanding you this
day is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”</strong> And that promise
God gave Israel is God’s promise to you too!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, you don’t have to fail in the
Christian life. The power of the Holy Spirit, that compels you to believe on
Christ, will also empower you to cling to Christ!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Where sin abounds grace does much
more abound”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">It means, “Greater is He who is in you than he
who is in the world”!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">I like what Ephesians 1:19 says. Paul said
God furnishes <strong>“exceedingly<span> </span>. . . great . . . power toward us who
believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in
Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated <em>Him</em> at His right hand
in the heavenly <em>places.”</em></strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">The Bible didn’t say that a trickle of power is available for
overcoming temptation.”<span> </span>The Bibles says
there is <strong>“exceedingly great power”
available, and it’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead</strong>!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Don’t believe Satan’s lie that insists sin is incontestable. <strong>God’s grace to resist sin is greater than
sin’s power to lure you. His grace to overcome sin is greater than sin’s power
to defeat you. “What God commands you this day is not too difficult for you,
nor is it out of reach.” You can walk with God!
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color: black">(Example)</span></strong><span style="color: black"><span> </span>Let me share with you my strategy when I am faced with temptations and
challenges.<span> </span>I have a title I have
ascribed to the Holy Spirit.<span> </span>I call Him
the <em>Unfair Advantage.</em><span> </span>I call Him the <em>Unfair Advantage</em> because, as the third person of the Godhead, He is
omnipotent!<span> </span>No power in the universe is
equivalent. So when I am challenged or tempted I sometimes pray, “Father,
here’s the situation. I’m unequal to the task.<span> </span>But I ask for the <em>Unfair Advantage—</em>the
Holy Spirit—to provide all that’s needed to deal with this situation and
overcome it.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">If God has freely offered us the <em>Unfair
Advantage</em> of the Holy Spirit, we should claim Him!
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Luke 24:48 Jesus commanded believers to:
“be endued [clothed] with power from above.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In John 20:22 He said: “receive the Holy
Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Acts 1:8 Jesus said: “you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">In Ephesians 5:18 Paul said: “be filled with
the Spirit.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span> Do you believe you can walk with God?
Absolutely!<span> </span>Since that’s the case, let
me show you how you can attract God’s presence.<span> </span>You will attract God’s presence as you identify with Him.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in; tab-stops: -1.0in" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>II.<span> </span>Walking
with God Requires that you Identify with God</span></strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">There is a spiritual principle that says God identifies with men to the
degree that men identify with Him.<span> </span>The
Apostle James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3"></font></span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">What that means is, God will draw near us as we adopt a standard of
living that matches the glory of His Name. You see, sometimes we hinder God’s
presence because He cannot identify with our behavior.<span> </span>Think about this way:
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
someone joins the military it comes with certain requirements.<span> </span>One of the chief requirements is that the recruit<em>fully identify</em> with whichever branch
of the military that’s joined.<span> </span>When a
recruit joins the military, the officers drill into their recruits that they
are no longer part of the civilian rank.<span> </span>They are separated from the masses into a special organization.<span> </span>The military issues a handbook of regulations
that describe codes of conduct and dress.<span> </span>And if the recruit wants the full support of the military, he/she must
be willing to fully identify with the military.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>Awhile back the pro golfer Phil Mickleson signed a contract to advertise
for Ford Motors.<span> </span>Do you think Ford
Motors would appreciate Phil driving a Lexus to his sporting events?<span> </span>Do you think Coca-Cola would approve of their
advertising celebrity of publicly drinking Pepsi?<span> </span>Advertisers, paying their spokespersons
millions of dollars, want their representatives to fully identify with their
product!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And God, who became like us in Christ, wants us to become like Him. The
ultimate aim of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ!<span> </span>You see, this is the destiny of
every believer.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">1 John 3:2 says: “it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, <strong>we shall be like Him,</strong> for we shall see
Him as He is.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Romans 8:29 says: “For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined <strong><em>to be</em> conformed
to the image of His Son.”</strong>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">One day, when we arrive in heaven, we will be <strong>glorified</strong> into Christ’s image. But the process of conforming to
Christ’s image needs to start today.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Paul said in Philippians 1:20: “[it] is my earnest expectation and hope
[that] . . . I will not be put to shame in anything, but with all boldness,
Christ will even now be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (21)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">No wonder God’s grace and power flowed through Paul in an unparalleled
manner.<span> </span>He wasn’t a bold witness just in
church services or around fellow Christians.<span> </span>Paul always identified with Christ.<span> </span>Consequently, Christ’s presence was strong upon Paul’s life.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">And if we want Christ’s strong presence upon us we have to draw near
Him and identify with Him. We have to determine to be God’s representative
wherever and whenever He needs us.
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Transition)</span></strong><span><span> </span>I
want to make one more point concerning how you can walk with God. You can walk
with God when you create an environment where God can dwell. Let me explain.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">III.<span> </span>Create an Environment where God can Dwell</span></strong><strong><span>
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Remember what the book of Leviticus is about. It’s about maintaining an
environment where God can dwell; whether it’s at the sanctuary or in the
marketplace; whether it’s religious or social. God wants us to adopt a
lifestyle that attracts His presence.<strong>
<o:p></o:p></strong></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Example)</span></strong><span> My favorite tree is the Palm tree.<span> </span>But unfortunately Palm trees cannot grow in
any environment. They prosper in sunny, tropical climates. However, white
spruce trees thrive in areas where temperatures plummet well below freezing.
What is necessary for both the palm and the white spruce is that they are
planted in an environment that supports their ability to flourish. When that
happens, they will naturally prosper.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span><font size="3">Our ability to prosper in God’s presence depends upon our environment.
The right environment will attract God’s presence and we will flourish. <span style="color: black">I want to share a deeply personal testimony that helps
illustrate this.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black">
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><strong><span>(Illustration)</span></strong><span><span> </span>When
I accepted the call to preach I accepted the call to pray.<span> </span>I can’t say that God spoke to me and said:
“You are called to pray.” But I knew it was what God ordained for me.<span> </span>So I have always tried to give prayer a
special place in my life.<span> </span>With that said
. . . I remember a time in my life when I accepted a ministry appointment.
Almost immediately an intense frustration emerged.<span> </span>Although I enjoyed a healthy salary and some
perks, I was miserable.<span> </span>I literally
despised each day I went to the office. About two months after accepting the
appointment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: “Can you walk with me?”
(Remember, I was engaged in full time ministry.)<span> </span>In all honesty I wasn’t 100% certain this
question came from the Holy Spirit, so I didn’t answer.<span> </span>But a couple of days later I heard the same
voice repeat the question, “Can you walk with Me?”<span> </span>Now, it wasn’t that I didn’t answer, I
couldn’t answer!<span> </span>I thought I would
grieve the Spirit by saying, “no,” so I tried to push it out of my mind.<span> </span>But a month later the Holy Spirit was still
repeating the question, “Can you walk with Me?” and I was still struggling for
an answer that would dismiss the question.<span> </span>On one occasion I remember the Holy Spirit convicting me with that
question and I said in frustration, “Well, Lord, I don’t know, but You know the
answer.”<span> </span>But that wasn’t what He was
looking for, so after at least two months of this heavenly interrogation I
leveled with God.<span> </span>Now I need to pause
long enough to make a confession.<span> </span>From
the day I accepted that ministry appointment, and for the next five months, I
had not devoted one uninterrupted hour to prayer.<span> </span>And I felt like a criminal robbing from
God!<span> </span>But at this point I was so
exasperated, I was willing to answer the question and disappoint God, the
angels and the “great cloud of witnesses” that I felt staring into the arena of
my life.<span> </span>So when I heard the Lord ask
that question one last time, I was ready.<span> </span>I said: <strong>“No God, I can’t walk
with You”!</strong> And in an instant, I felt a burden lift, and to my amazement I
heard God say, “That is the only answer I was willing to accept; because you
can’t walk with me in the place where you are.” And the question that had
“tried me like fire” for weeks was resolved and I instantly knew the course of
action to take.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Conclusion
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><span>
<o:p><font size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><span>I want to ask you something.<span> </span>Can you walk with God where you are?<span> </span>If not, you should do whatever is necessary
to walk with Him because there is nothing that compares with His glory resting
upon you. And remember, we aren’t out of the wilderness yet. We desperately
need God’s glory and grace to help us conquer the elements around us.</span>
<o:p></o:p></font></p>",
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"Author" => array(
"id" => "1",
"name" => "Robert D. Pace",
"biography" => "<p><img style="margin: 3px 8px 0px 0px; width: 252px; float: left; height: 335px; border: black 1px solid" alt="Robert D. Pace" src="/images/misc/rdp.jpg" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNoSpacing"><font color="#0000ff"><span>Robert D. (Chip) Pace entered full-time ministry in 1977 and was ordained in 1984. Serving in both the Assemblies of God and the Church of God, he has ministered around the world in high schools, colleges, conventions, church conferences, and Campmeetings. Much of his overseas ministry has taken him to the Far East, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, and in 2003 he was a featured speaker for John Maxwell's Million Leaders Mandate, in Jakarta, Indonesia. His 2004 Spring schedule took him back to Indonesia where ministered in Surabaya for Alex Tanesuputra, pastor of more than 120,000 members. Pace also is the founder of PulpitToday.com, a sermon resource site for pastors and teachers of the Christian Faith.</span></font></p>",
"copyright_notice" => "<p>Copyright © 2009 by Pulpit Today<br />
The contents of this data file are the sole property of Robert D. Pace. You are welcome to reproduce this file, but only in its entirety so long as the author is properly credited and the material is not reproduced for resale. In keeping with the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are free to preach/teach the contents of this file. Requests for reproduction of this message must be made in writing to: <a href="mailto:RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com">RobertDPace@PulpitToday.com</a></p>",
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