WEBVTT - Have No Fear, God Is Here, Part 6 0:00:00.240 --> 0:00:03.720 What starts with we will always end in nothing. But 0:00:03.720 --> 0:00:07.600 what starts with Jesus will always end in success. Because 0:00:07.600 --> 0:00:12.520 he wants us to understand his presence makes the difference. 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:21.840 Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford, 0:00:21.840 --> 0:00:24.720 junior senior pastor of Christ Bible Church in Chicago. I'm 0:00:24.720 --> 0:00:27.360 Steve Hillard. Glad you're with us. As today we wrap 0:00:27.360 --> 0:00:32.440 up our message. Have no fear. God is here, pastor. Uh, 0:00:32.440 --> 0:00:35.159 there may be someone listening today who says, you know, 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:38.519 I thought I was starting with Jesus. I thought that 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:41.080 what I was doing was what he wanted me to do, 0:00:41.080 --> 0:00:43.600 and I was really trying to serve him and and 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:47.120 step out in faith. But, man, I failed, and I 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:49.400 failed miserably. Maybe it was a business. Maybe it was 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:54.400 a relationship, you know, whatever that was, it fell apart. 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:57.560 You just said, if it starts with Jesus, it's going 0:00:57.600 --> 0:01:00.680 to end. It's success. Help me wrap my brain around this. 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:06.319 Let's start off first by defining success. Because one person 0:01:06.319 --> 0:01:12.880 said this, I would rather ultimately fail than to succeed 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:16.880 in an endeavor that will ultimately succeed without Jesus Christ. 0:01:17.400 --> 0:01:20.960 And so there are times when what God will do 0:01:21.360 --> 0:01:23.560 is he'll allow us to go through with our own 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:27.880 plans so that we can see the futility of trying 0:01:27.880 --> 0:01:31.000 to do things our own way. As a pastor, I've 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:34.479 done this myriads of times in my 34 years of 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:39.000 pastoring Christ Bible Church. I thought God's leading me to 0:01:39.000 --> 0:01:46.440 do this only to have it fail and God tell me, no, 0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:50.120 I didn't have you do that. Uh, there have been times, though, 0:01:50.360 --> 0:01:53.920 when I've succeeded and God has said, I didn't tell 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:57.720 you to do that. So my point in the statement 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:00.720 that I made was this, that we need to take 0:02:00.840 --> 0:02:03.880 the time to really see if this is what God 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:06.800 really wants for us, and then go for it with 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:10.880 all the gusto. The success of it will be determined, 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:15.160 and the outcome will be determined by whether or not 0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:18.480 Christ is involved. So let's take a relationship. Yeah, there 0:02:18.480 --> 0:02:21.600 are many people who are in a relationship that God 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:24.919 didn't sanction, but you wanted that person so bad that 0:02:24.919 --> 0:02:28.639 you just grabbed them for yourself. Now you wouldn't let 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:33.079 them go, so God had them let you go. And 0:02:33.080 --> 0:02:37.919 that's success. That's not failure because he wasn't in it. 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:42.560 So ultimately, what could I tell you that would help 0:02:42.560 --> 0:02:47.880 you to determine which is which? Ask him. I wouldn't 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:48.760 be able to tell you. 0:02:48.800 --> 0:02:52.760 Yeah, well. And you're absolutely right. Um, we do need 0:02:52.760 --> 0:02:55.720 to be asking him, seeking him. And, you know, as 0:02:55.720 --> 0:02:58.400 you talked about the fact that, you know, as you've 0:02:58.400 --> 0:03:01.430 led Christ Bible Church for 34 years. Some of the 0:03:01.430 --> 0:03:03.910 things that you were convinced God was calling you to do, 0:03:03.950 --> 0:03:06.389 they didn't work out the way that you thought they would. 0:03:06.430 --> 0:03:09.270 Can you look back now and say, ultimately that was 0:03:09.270 --> 0:03:10.030 a success? 0:03:10.350 --> 0:03:13.829 Oh yeah, that the failure was a success. But what 0:03:13.830 --> 0:03:17.230 would have happened had it been, quote unquote, my kind 0:03:17.230 --> 0:03:20.270 of success? I would have been veered off of the 0:03:20.270 --> 0:03:23.870 course that he set for me and going in the 0:03:23.870 --> 0:03:27.230 wrong direction. And so he puts me back on course. 0:03:27.270 --> 0:03:30.269 I mean, that's that's Proverbs three five and six. Direct 0:03:30.270 --> 0:03:31.109 your path. 0:03:31.430 --> 0:03:34.790 Well, let's open our Bibles to Isaiah 43 and look 0:03:34.790 --> 0:03:38.710 further at this passage and continue the message. Have no fear. 0:03:38.830 --> 0:03:41.150 God is here. Here's Pastor Ford. 0:03:42.030 --> 0:03:46.910 The deeper they dig the hole. Come on. Somebody remembers. 0:03:47.190 --> 0:03:50.750 The higher they're going to make the skyscraper. Okay, let 0:03:50.750 --> 0:03:54.430 me let me come with something different. God was working 0:03:54.950 --> 0:03:58.630 in a curious person walking by and said, wow, that's intricate. 0:03:58.630 --> 0:04:00.550 What are you doing now? He was building a church, 0:04:00.590 --> 0:04:02.870 and the church was already built except for the steeple. 0:04:03.390 --> 0:04:05.990 And so he said, what is that? I mean, I 0:04:06.150 --> 0:04:08.590 see you're done with the building, aren't you? And he said, well, no, 0:04:08.590 --> 0:04:11.230 we have one more piece to put in. It's at 0:04:11.230 --> 0:04:14.630 the top of that steeple. He said, really? So what 0:04:14.630 --> 0:04:17.430 are you doing it down here for? Listen to this. 0:04:18.950 --> 0:04:24.030 I'm carving it out down here so that it fits 0:04:24.270 --> 0:04:25.110 up there. 0:04:26.190 --> 0:04:29.110 That's good, that's good. Yes. 0:04:29.710 --> 0:04:32.150 He carving on us down here. 0:04:32.390 --> 0:04:32.990 Amen. 0:04:33.390 --> 0:04:38.830 To prepare us for up there. That's it. I'm just 0:04:38.830 --> 0:04:44.030 a work in progress, that's all. I ain't perfect, I 0:04:44.029 --> 0:04:47.950 ain't got it all together. But one day I'm going 0:04:47.950 --> 0:04:50.270 to be with him. And then the Bible says at 0:04:50.310 --> 0:04:53.110 that day I will see him as he is, and 0:04:53.110 --> 0:04:56.430 I will be like him. The transformation will take place 0:04:56.430 --> 0:04:59.230 as I'm going up in the air. I'll be transformed 0:04:59.230 --> 0:05:01.909 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, I'll 0:05:01.910 --> 0:05:04.830 look just like Jesus. 0:05:07.510 --> 0:05:09.029 Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. 0:05:10.190 --> 0:05:13.630 Yes yes yes yes yes. So here's what he's trying 0:05:13.630 --> 0:05:17.230 to get them to understand. They're saying everything has changed. 0:05:17.390 --> 0:05:20.390 We've lost our income. We lost our home. We're being 0:05:20.430 --> 0:05:23.789 taken into captivity. We have no bling. We have no Benjamins. 0:05:23.790 --> 0:05:28.190 We have no benzes. We are broke, busted, disgusted and 0:05:28.190 --> 0:05:33.470 can't be trusted. God, what do you want us to know? 0:05:34.190 --> 0:05:37.109 My love hasn't changed. And when you look at those 0:05:37.110 --> 0:05:40.070 words in the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of 0:05:40.070 --> 0:05:43.190 the Hebrew Masoretic Text, here's what you find. Though. Every 0:05:43.190 --> 0:05:45.310 one of those words, those three words, that word would 0:05:45.310 --> 0:05:48.309 be agape. In the New Testament, that word precious would 0:05:48.310 --> 0:05:51.549 be what Peter would use to translate that Jesus Christ 0:05:51.550 --> 0:05:54.710 is a precious stone. Uh, that word honorable is the 0:05:54.710 --> 0:05:58.270 same word that would be translated, uh, that the Lord 0:05:58.270 --> 0:06:03.950 Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone. And he is precious. 0:06:04.390 --> 0:06:08.430 All those words were about Jesus. You see what he's saying? Listen, listen, listen. 0:06:08.430 --> 0:06:10.510 Help me tell somebody. I don't got too much longer 0:06:10.510 --> 0:06:12.750 to preach to you this morning, but look at somebody 0:06:12.750 --> 0:06:17.789 and say, say, saint. God can never love you more 0:06:19.550 --> 0:06:23.590 than he does now. And he'll never love you less 0:06:24.710 --> 0:06:28.589 than he does now. Tell him you are loved by God. 0:06:30.029 --> 0:06:43.910 Unconditionally unmerited, unparalleled love. So the things have changed, but 0:06:43.910 --> 0:06:46.229 they don't change. And he said, my love for you 0:06:46.230 --> 0:06:49.630 have it the way I esteem you and consider you 0:06:49.630 --> 0:06:53.909 precious in my sight. That hasn't changed. The unconditional love 0:06:53.950 --> 0:06:56.670 hasn't changed. I'm here right now and you ain't living right. 0:06:56.670 --> 0:06:58.950 You ain't acting right. You ain't walking right. But yet 0:06:58.950 --> 0:07:01.430 I haven't abandoned Imagine you. You tried to get away 0:07:01.430 --> 0:07:03.710 from me. And every time you did, you turn around. 0:07:03.750 --> 0:07:09.429 I was right there. I said I put something together. 0:07:09.430 --> 0:07:12.070 I say everything is changed. What? Don't change, pastor, for 0:07:12.110 --> 0:07:14.190 here they are. Let me just give em to you. 0:07:14.230 --> 0:07:17.270 Say give em to us. Alright. This ain't move on 0:07:17.270 --> 0:07:21.670 after that. Yeah. Number one, God is still sitting on 0:07:21.670 --> 0:07:24.990 his throne. Number two, God never sleeps. Nor number some. 0:07:24.990 --> 0:07:28.270 Verse number three Jesus still saves. Number four, the Bible 0:07:28.270 --> 0:07:33.190 is still God's word. Number five prayer still changes things. 0:07:33.230 --> 0:07:37.470 Number six Jesus still loves us. Number seven preaching is 0:07:37.470 --> 0:07:41.590 still God's method. Number eight his grace is still sufficient. 0:07:41.630 --> 0:07:46.550 Number nine God still inhabits praise. Number ten and 11 0:07:46.550 --> 0:07:53.470 his yoke is easy and his burden is light. And 0:07:53.470 --> 0:07:56.950 don't forget the last one. There's still room at the 0:07:56.950 --> 0:08:02.110 cross for you. Mm. Hmm. Now notice. Notice with me. Number. 0:08:02.110 --> 0:08:04.590 Number which one? I'm on number five. I got three 0:08:04.590 --> 0:08:08.950 more notice. God says, have no fear. I'm here because 0:08:08.950 --> 0:08:12.190 of his presence. Listen to what he says. Fear not, 0:08:12.190 --> 0:08:14.510 for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed 0:08:14.510 --> 0:08:16.630 from the east, from the west, all of that. Notice 0:08:16.630 --> 0:08:19.270 what he said. Verse one I have called thee by 0:08:19.270 --> 0:08:21.590 thy name thou art thine. Verse two I will be 0:08:21.590 --> 0:08:24.150 with thee. Twice I will be with thee. Wait a minute, God. 0:08:24.150 --> 0:08:25.910 I will be with thee. I will be with thee. 0:08:25.910 --> 0:08:27.990 I will be with thee, I guess. One for the father, 0:08:27.990 --> 0:08:29.910 one for the son, one for the Holy Ghost. Blessed. 0:08:29.910 --> 0:08:32.310 3 in 1. And then he says, fear not. Now 0:08:32.309 --> 0:08:35.470 somebody who's been here who studies their Bible, tell me, 0:08:35.510 --> 0:08:38.069 holler it out nice and loud. Everybody that knows it. 0:08:38.070 --> 0:08:40.309 How many fear knots are there in the Bible? 0:08:40.309 --> 0:08:41.429 365. 0:08:42.070 --> 0:08:44.350 You don't. Only true, who knows it? How many fear 0:08:44.390 --> 0:08:50.470 knots in the Bible? What is that one for? Every day. 0:08:51.030 --> 0:08:53.470 So if you're fearful, just go in. You don't have 0:08:53.470 --> 0:08:56.910 to use the scripture over again. Just grab one. Fear not, 0:08:56.910 --> 0:09:00.740 fear not, fear not, fear not. Why? Because of the 0:09:00.740 --> 0:09:03.060 presence of God. Now I wonder how many of you 0:09:03.059 --> 0:09:07.300 know that God never was, was, and that God always 0:09:07.300 --> 0:09:11.420 is is. We studied on Wednesday. Some of y'all would 0:09:11.420 --> 0:09:14.940 never be able to hear anything. Uh, on a Wednesday. Um, 0:09:14.940 --> 0:09:17.819 you know, because you you with Cookie on Wednesday rather 0:09:17.820 --> 0:09:21.459 than with with with the Holy Ghost. Amen. So here's 0:09:21.460 --> 0:09:24.540 what we learned. We said, why do they use the 0:09:24.540 --> 0:09:34.580 name Jehovah? Because the word literally means higher. Means he was. 0:09:34.860 --> 0:09:40.780 Hova means being in Hebrew, and Yahi means he will be. 0:09:40.780 --> 0:09:46.179 So they chose the name Jehovah because the name means future, 0:09:46.340 --> 0:09:51.420 present past that he's a God of eternity. So they 0:09:51.420 --> 0:09:54.820 said the best way to tell us who he is 0:09:54.820 --> 0:09:58.179 in a name is to take the past, present and 0:09:58.179 --> 0:10:01.740 future and jam it all together. And when you jam 0:10:01.740 --> 0:10:05.820 it all together, you get the name Jehovah, the one 0:10:06.140 --> 0:10:11.620 who is. And that's it. So what are you saying? 0:10:11.620 --> 0:10:16.540 I'm saying listen, he's the eternal contemporary. God knows what's 0:10:16.540 --> 0:10:21.500 going to happen tomorrow. Yesterday. That's good stuff, pastor. Thank you. 0:10:21.580 --> 0:10:24.660 I think so too. Amen. Amen. And then I went 0:10:24.660 --> 0:10:27.100 through Scripture and I said, everywhere you look, the presence 0:10:27.100 --> 0:10:29.220 of God. Okay. Well, if you look back, what do 0:10:29.220 --> 0:10:32.059 you see? Jesus dying for you. That's what it tells 0:10:32.059 --> 0:10:35.340 us in Galatians 220, who loved me and gave himself 0:10:35.340 --> 0:10:37.700 for me? When you look beside you, what do you 0:10:37.700 --> 0:10:41.420 see Jesus with you? Psalm 23 four yea, though I 0:10:41.420 --> 0:10:43.140 walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will 0:10:43.140 --> 0:10:45.420 fear no evil, for thou art with me. When you 0:10:45.420 --> 0:10:49.100 look around you, what do you see encircled by Jesus? 0:10:49.100 --> 0:10:51.900 Because the Bible says, we are in Christ by the 0:10:51.900 --> 0:10:55.260 baptizing work of the Holy Spirit. First Corinthians 1213 when 0:10:55.260 --> 0:10:58.660 you look inside, what do you see Christ in you? 0:10:58.660 --> 0:11:02.460 The hope of glory, according to Colossians 127 and 28, 0:11:02.460 --> 0:11:04.460 when you look up, what do you see? According to 0:11:04.500 --> 0:11:07.140 Hebrews 725, I see Christ on the right hand of 0:11:07.140 --> 0:11:10.460 the father praying for me. When you look ahead, what 0:11:10.460 --> 0:11:13.340 do you see? I see Christ coming for me. First 0:11:13.340 --> 0:11:17.100 Thessalonians chapter 413 through 18. And when I look under me, 0:11:17.140 --> 0:11:20.420 what do I see? I see Christ holding me up 0:11:20.460 --> 0:11:24.700 on Christ, the solid rock I stand. All other ground 0:11:24.740 --> 0:11:29.740 is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. Yeah. 0:11:32.460 --> 0:11:35.420 I don't know whether to laugh or to burst into song. 0:11:35.460 --> 0:11:37.980 You're listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford and a 0:11:37.980 --> 0:11:41.060 message called Have No Fear. God is here, and we're 0:11:41.059 --> 0:11:43.380 going to get back to this teaching in just a moment. 0:11:43.700 --> 0:11:45.940 If you've not done so before, I hope you'll come 0:11:45.940 --> 0:11:48.900 to our website and then like us on Facebook and 0:11:48.900 --> 0:11:51.140 follow us on Twitter. We'll link you to those. And 0:11:51.140 --> 0:11:52.380 that would be a great way for us to be 0:11:52.380 --> 0:11:54.780 able to interact. You can also give us your feedback 0:11:54.780 --> 0:11:57.700 by coming to the website and clicking on the contact link. 0:11:57.740 --> 0:12:02.380 Our website address is Treasure Truth Radio. All right, let's 0:12:02.380 --> 0:12:05.179 get back to the message from Isaiah 43. Again, here 0:12:05.220 --> 0:12:06.220 is Pastor Ford. 0:12:06.980 --> 0:12:09.100 Let me give you these last two. But but you know, 0:12:09.140 --> 0:12:11.220 it's like each one of these verses could have been 0:12:11.220 --> 0:12:13.060 a sermon. You say, how so? Because then if I 0:12:13.059 --> 0:12:15.699 were talking about his presence, this verse talks about it's 0:12:15.700 --> 0:12:19.260 a powerful presence. It's a perpetual presence. He never leaves 0:12:19.260 --> 0:12:24.100 you nor forsake. It's a participating presence. It's the manifested presence. 0:12:24.100 --> 0:12:25.820 I know you're saying we want God to show up 0:12:25.820 --> 0:12:29.180 in our worship. Isn't he already here? Isn't the omnipresent. Yeah, 0:12:29.179 --> 0:12:30.620 but that don't mean he going to show up in 0:12:30.620 --> 0:12:33.579 his manifested presence. That don't mean he's going to come 0:12:33.580 --> 0:12:36.380 and minister to us and walk the aisles and touch 0:12:36.380 --> 0:12:37.300 our hearts. 0:12:40.220 --> 0:12:40.620 Mm. 0:12:41.059 --> 0:12:45.660 Then it's a personal presence. Yeah. They said we have 0:12:45.660 --> 0:12:48.140 to hold on. He said children, have you any meat? 0:12:48.140 --> 0:12:51.540 We have toiled all night and caught nothing. Uh oh. 0:12:51.820 --> 0:12:55.140 What starts with we will always end in nothing. But 0:12:55.140 --> 0:12:59.660 what starts with Jesus will always end the success. They said, we. 0:12:59.660 --> 0:13:01.819 We know these waters. We should have caught some fish. 0:13:02.059 --> 0:13:05.860 We caught nothing. Yeah. What you're doing apart from me 0:13:05.900 --> 0:13:08.700 doesn't work. But he said, cast the nets on the 0:13:08.700 --> 0:13:12.300 other side of the boat. And they caught 153 fish. 0:13:12.420 --> 0:13:17.620 Because he wants us to understand his presence makes the difference. 0:13:17.620 --> 0:13:20.939 Then the promises of God. Verse six. The promises of God. 0:13:20.940 --> 0:13:22.939 He focuses on the promises. Listen to this. I will 0:13:22.940 --> 0:13:24.540 say to the North, give up to the south. Keep 0:13:24.540 --> 0:13:26.939 not back. Bring my sons from afar and my daughters 0:13:26.940 --> 0:13:28.780 from the ends of the earth. What's that all about? 0:13:28.780 --> 0:13:31.660 That's a part of the Abrahamic Covenant that he would 0:13:31.660 --> 0:13:35.700 always constitute Israel as a nation. And so now he's 0:13:35.700 --> 0:13:38.780 going back to that promise. It's a different aspect of 0:13:38.780 --> 0:13:41.540 it because they're in the diaspora. And he's saying, I 0:13:41.540 --> 0:13:45.540 don't care what your situation has been. Can I just 0:13:45.540 --> 0:13:51.220 say something without being political or focusing on race? Do 0:13:51.220 --> 0:13:59.100 you realize who you are? Black people? 8 million. That's 0:13:59.100 --> 0:14:02.340 the number I got died in the middle passage. Didn't 0:14:02.340 --> 0:14:07.780 make it over 3 million. You are part of the 0:14:07.780 --> 0:14:18.540 people who survive. Horrible, devastating thing. Let me just say it. Here's. 0:14:18.540 --> 0:14:21.460 Here's a promise. You say, what's going on here? Listen, 0:14:22.340 --> 0:14:26.260 if you needed a ride to church and you said, uh, 0:14:26.460 --> 0:14:29.460 you know, hey, hey, hey, hey, elder Green, would you 0:14:29.500 --> 0:14:31.980 scoop me on the way? He said, I'll scoop you. 0:14:32.220 --> 0:14:35.020 Then all of a sudden, Minister Dave calls me and says, hey, pastor, 0:14:35.020 --> 0:14:36.620 you need a ride? What am I going to say 0:14:36.620 --> 0:14:40.420 to him? I already have a ride. No I don't. 0:14:41.460 --> 0:14:43.820 I have the promise of a ride. I don't really 0:14:43.820 --> 0:14:48.380 have a ride, but I said I have a ride 0:14:48.420 --> 0:14:52.340 because I believe what the person told me that their 0:14:52.340 --> 0:14:56.340 credibility and integrity will back up the words that they 0:14:56.340 --> 0:15:00.610 told me. Now, if he said, do you need a ride? 0:15:00.610 --> 0:15:02.850 And I don't trust his word. And then he called 0:15:02.850 --> 0:15:04.810 me after and said, do you need a ride? Yeah, 0:15:04.810 --> 0:15:07.770 I need a ride. I gotta call Elder Green. Elder green, 0:15:07.770 --> 0:15:10.730 don't worry about it. I'm cool, man, I'm cool. Why? 0:15:10.770 --> 0:15:13.970 Because I believe his word. Do you believe God's word? 0:15:15.130 --> 0:15:15.450 Yeah. 0:15:16.050 --> 0:15:18.930 Because when you don't stand on it, it means you 0:15:18.930 --> 0:15:22.330 don't believe it. It means you don't trust him. And 0:15:22.330 --> 0:15:25.730 God has made a promise to us. We think God's 0:15:25.730 --> 0:15:30.410 like some of us. We made promises. Do you so 0:15:30.450 --> 0:15:32.890 and so. Take so and so to be your lawfully 0:15:32.890 --> 0:15:34.770 wedded wife, to have and to hold in sickness, health, 0:15:34.770 --> 0:15:37.290 poverty and health until death do you part? I do. 0:15:37.730 --> 0:15:38.490 Right now. 0:15:39.770 --> 0:15:42.330 Okay. Are you divorced people? Don't holler it out. That liar. 0:15:42.970 --> 0:15:48.690 She lied. Do you swear to tell the whole truth 0:15:48.930 --> 0:15:53.810 and nothing but the truth, so help you God? I do, 0:15:55.250 --> 0:16:01.690 is the information listed here on your 1040 true? If 0:16:01.690 --> 0:16:07.330 it is. Sign here. You heard about that? Pastor of 0:16:07.330 --> 0:16:09.650 the IRS called him and said. Your member said they 0:16:09.650 --> 0:16:14.290 gave $25,000 to the church last year. Did they? He said, oh, 0:16:14.290 --> 0:16:20.490 they will. We're behind you, pastor. Just don't tell how 0:16:20.490 --> 0:16:26.729 far behind we are. Oh, I'll serve in this ministry faithfully. 0:16:27.050 --> 0:16:31.090 How about this one? The check is in the mail. Oh, 0:16:31.090 --> 0:16:35.050 here's a good one. Baby, you're the only one for me. 0:16:38.330 --> 0:16:38.730 Mhm. 0:16:39.450 --> 0:16:47.170 God is good on his word. He keeps his promises. See? 0:16:47.210 --> 0:16:50.210 Salvation in the Old Testament. The lambs and goats were 0:16:50.210 --> 0:16:53.970 the promises of a Redeemer who would come. And so 0:16:53.970 --> 0:16:58.850 God wrote a check. Uh, which is really a worthless 0:16:58.850 --> 0:17:01.410 piece of paper. It's only as valid as the amount 0:17:01.410 --> 0:17:05.330 of cash in the bank. And so what I've had won. 0:17:05.330 --> 0:17:10.210 And so God post-dated a cheque. Calvary. So that everybody 0:17:10.210 --> 0:17:13.050 who was in the Old Testament until Jesus came could 0:17:13.050 --> 0:17:19.050 look forward to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. And 0:17:19.050 --> 0:17:21.570 so every time they went to the temple, they had 0:17:21.570 --> 0:17:25.450 that post-dated cheque. The cheque is in the mail. But 0:17:25.450 --> 0:17:29.530 when Jesus died on Calvary, uh, a new sign went up. Uh, 0:17:29.530 --> 0:17:32.410 Jesus said it is finished. It means to blessed. Paid 0:17:32.410 --> 0:17:34.970 in full. Guess what? The cash is in the bank 0:17:36.130 --> 0:17:40.330 because of Calvary. God is good on his word. We 0:17:40.330 --> 0:17:43.210 need to be like Caleb in Joshua chapter 14. Remember 0:17:43.210 --> 0:17:46.690 what Caleb said Caleb said. He said, let me tell 0:17:46.690 --> 0:17:50.050 you something. Give me my mountain. Because God promised to 0:17:50.050 --> 0:17:53.810 me 45 years ago. And, uh, even though I'm 85, 0:17:53.850 --> 0:17:56.610 I want my mountain because God is good for his word. 0:17:56.730 --> 0:17:57.250 Amen. 0:17:58.330 --> 0:17:59.570 And they said, you're an old man. How man. How 0:17:59.609 --> 0:18:01.649 are you going to take it? You remember what he said? 0:18:02.170 --> 0:18:04.450 The same strength I had 45 years ago. The same 0:18:04.450 --> 0:18:07.330 strength I got now. Power of the Holy Ghost don't diminish. 0:18:07.609 --> 0:18:09.210 They ain't got nothing to do with your age. 0:18:09.410 --> 0:18:09.730 Yeah. 0:18:11.850 --> 0:18:13.129 Let me go on and get y'all out of here. 0:18:13.130 --> 0:18:14.530 Here's the last one. I'm going to drop em. I 0:18:14.530 --> 0:18:17.770 ain't going to push em. The purposes of God. Now, 0:18:17.770 --> 0:18:20.369 you listen to this. Just let me read. Can I 0:18:20.369 --> 0:18:24.450 read this to you? Say, read it to us. Thank you. 0:18:25.010 --> 0:18:30.010 Everyone that is called by my name. For I have 0:18:30.010 --> 0:18:34.250 created him for my glory. I have formed him. Yea, 0:18:34.250 --> 0:18:38.250 I have made him. You see what he's saying? You 0:18:38.290 --> 0:18:42.409 got a purpose. You got a divine purpose. And I 0:18:42.410 --> 0:18:47.010 just came to tell somebody. Today the fire is raging 0:18:47.050 --> 0:18:49.490 to bring that purpose out of you. I just went 0:18:49.490 --> 0:18:52.530 through the scriptures, got a few folk because Jacob, uh, 0:18:52.530 --> 0:18:55.250 he had Israel in him. Uh, but it took the 0:18:55.250 --> 0:18:58.690 fire of Laban's hate and the fire of Esau's revenge 0:18:58.690 --> 0:19:01.649 to bring it out. But when he wrestled with God, 0:19:01.650 --> 0:19:06.169 it came out and Jacob became Israel. Joseph had seeds 0:19:06.170 --> 0:19:08.170 of greatness in him, and he took the fire of 0:19:08.170 --> 0:19:10.690 the pit and Potiphar in the prison to bring out 0:19:10.690 --> 0:19:14.970 the palace in him. Gideon hiding in a winepress, scared 0:19:14.970 --> 0:19:18.010 of the enemy, acting like Pee-Wee Herman. But he had 0:19:18.010 --> 0:19:24.010 Rambo in him, and God used 135,000 Midianites when he 0:19:24.010 --> 0:19:28.609 only had 300 men to bring the Rambo out of him. 0:19:28.810 --> 0:19:33.010 You know the end of what happened. Peter acted like 0:19:33.010 --> 0:19:35.489 a coward, but he had courage in him. And he 0:19:35.490 --> 0:19:39.170 took the denial fire and the fire of desertion and 0:19:39.170 --> 0:19:42.929 the fire of the Holy Spirit to turn him into 0:19:42.970 --> 0:19:46.850 somebody who turned Jerusalem out and preach the Word of God. 0:19:46.850 --> 0:19:49.810 So that 3000 people got saved on the day of 0:19:49.810 --> 0:19:53.650 Pentecost and wrote two books in the Bible, and mentored 0:19:53.650 --> 0:19:56.889 somebody who had fallen by the name of John Mark, 0:19:56.890 --> 0:20:00.010 so that he became the first gospel ever written in 0:20:00.010 --> 0:20:05.490 the New Testament. And then don't forget about our elder 0:20:05.490 --> 0:20:09.490 brother Jesus Christ, because it took the fire of Calvary's 0:20:09.490 --> 0:20:15.330 cross to bring out the payment for our sin through 0:20:15.369 --> 0:20:20.530 his precious blood, and to restore us in our relationship 0:20:20.530 --> 0:20:22.010 with God. I just want to read it to you. 0:20:22.010 --> 0:20:25.209 Imma close just by letting the scripture speak for itself today. 0:20:25.210 --> 0:20:27.689 Listen to what it says. It says in hope maketh 0:20:27.690 --> 0:20:30.050 not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad 0:20:30.050 --> 0:20:31.609 in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given 0:20:31.609 --> 0:20:35.010 unto us. For when we were without strength, in due 0:20:35.010 --> 0:20:38.129 time Christ died for the ungodly, for scarcely for a 0:20:38.130 --> 0:20:41.050 righteous man will one die. Yet peradventure for a good 0:20:41.050 --> 0:20:43.890 man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth 0:20:43.890 --> 0:20:46.169 his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, 0:20:46.170 --> 0:20:49.169 Christ died for us much more. Then, being now justified 0:20:49.170 --> 0:20:52.090 by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 0:20:52.090 --> 0:20:54.530 For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to 0:20:54.570 --> 0:20:57.690 God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, 0:20:57.690 --> 0:21:00.880 we shall be saved by his life, And not only so, 0:21:01.040 --> 0:21:05.119 but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 0:21:05.760 --> 0:21:10.119 by whom we have now received the atonement. Yes. I 0:21:10.160 --> 0:21:13.640 don't know what you're going through. I don't know what 0:21:13.640 --> 0:21:17.680 the problem is. The fire is raging, but you are 0:21:17.720 --> 0:21:26.800 God's lodgepole pine cone. Seeds of greatness is being released. 0:21:27.920 --> 0:21:35.960 Your purpose is becoming clearer. Your destiny is before you. 0:21:37.920 --> 0:21:44.439 And I'll. The ashes of the debris. It's all around you. 0:21:46.440 --> 0:21:55.119 They'll show. Grow. The green, lush, fertile fruit that's brought 0:21:55.119 --> 0:22:01.320 about through faithfulness in the world you shall have tribulation, 0:22:01.320 --> 0:22:05.400 but be of good cheer. Jesus said, I have overcome 0:22:06.160 --> 0:22:06.800 the world. 0:22:10.800 --> 0:22:13.639 It's really a message of hope that we all need 0:22:13.640 --> 0:22:17.000 to hold on to. You're listening to Treasure Truth with 0:22:17.000 --> 0:22:20.240 Pastor James Ford Jr and a message called have no fear. 0:22:20.280 --> 0:22:23.359 God is here. Well, Pastor Ford's back in the studio 0:22:23.359 --> 0:22:26.040 with me here. And pastors, I sit in the Moody 0:22:26.040 --> 0:22:30.160 Radio Studios. I'm just reminded of the legacy of Moody Radio, 0:22:30.480 --> 0:22:34.240 how God has used Moody Radio for years and years, 0:22:34.280 --> 0:22:37.920 generations really, to share the gospel message. 0:22:37.960 --> 0:22:42.040 Oh, yeah. And you know, we want to see that continue. Steve. Yeah. 0:22:42.080 --> 0:22:44.320 I mean, we hear from so many listeners who have 0:22:44.359 --> 0:22:48.320 benefited from listening to this teaching ministry, and if you're 0:22:48.320 --> 0:22:51.520 listening and you're one of them, would you consider paying 0:22:51.520 --> 0:22:54.760 it forward? Steve talked about the fact that we have 0:22:54.760 --> 0:22:58.359 a legacy, a long lasting legacy. And if the Lord 0:22:58.359 --> 0:23:01.560 has used this program in your life. You can help 0:23:01.560 --> 0:23:05.120 cover our production costs by giving a one time gift, 0:23:05.119 --> 0:23:08.200 or becoming a monthly partner today, so that we can 0:23:08.200 --> 0:23:12.240 continue to be here in the future for others who 0:23:12.240 --> 0:23:14.840 need to hear the truth of God's Word. 0:23:14.880 --> 0:23:16.600 Now you can pay it forward right now. Just come 0:23:16.600 --> 0:23:20.399 to the website. It's Treasure Truth radio.org. You're going to 0:23:20.400 --> 0:23:22.840 see a donate link there. Go ahead and click on that. 0:23:22.840 --> 0:23:25.000 And that can be a one time gift. Or you 0:23:25.000 --> 0:23:28.399 can give a reoccurring monthly gift that really helps us 0:23:28.760 --> 0:23:31.680 be great stewards of how God is going to bless 0:23:31.680 --> 0:23:34.760 this ministry financially. So go ahead. Come to treasure Truth 0:23:34.760 --> 0:23:38.320 radio.org and look for that donate link. Thanks for doing that. 0:23:38.320 --> 0:23:40.920 Thanks for listening and thanks also to our Bible teacher, 0:23:40.920 --> 0:23:44.160 Pastor Ford, and our producers, Amy Rios and Ryan McConaughey. 0:23:44.200 --> 0:23:47.840 I'm Steve Hiller. Treasure truth is a production of Moody Radio, 0:23:48.000 --> 0:23:50.440 a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.