S1: Regardless of what you see now is going to happen.
S1: Regardless of what you feel now, it's going to happen
S1: regardless of who gets in your way is going to happen.
S1: Regardless of what traps the devil sets, it's going to happen.
S2: Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford,
S2: junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago.
S2: I'm Steve Hiller. Glad that you're with us today. And,
S2: you know, based on what we just heard Pastor Ford
S2: talking about, you're like, okay, what is going to happen, right?
S2: I mean, he's saying this thing, whatever it is, is
S2: going to happen. Well, here's what's going to happen. God
S2: is going to complete whatever work he began. If you
S2: weren't with us last time we began, a message called
S2: God will always finish What he started. It comes from
S2: Philippians chapter one and verse six, which says, this is
S2: the Apostle Paul writing to the church in Philippi. I
S2: am certain that God, who began the good work within you,
S2: will continue his work until it is finally finished on
S2: the day when Christ Jesus returns. So basically, we can
S2: cling to the promise that we find in Philippians one six.
S2: If God said something is going to happen, if he
S2: began to work, it is going to happen because God
S2: says so right here in Philippians chapter one. The question is,
S2: are we going to engage in that? Are we going
S2: to participate in that? Are we going to look for
S2: where God is at work, and are we going to
S2: work alongside him? Are we going to be engaged in
S2: not just the work that he has for the body
S2: of Christ, the church as a whole, but are you
S2: going to engage in ways that God has already began
S2: to work in you? You know, the Bible says that
S2: when we come to know Christ, we're given a new heart.
S2: We begin to be shaped and molded more into the
S2: image and likeness of Jesus. So are you engaging in
S2: the process of becoming more like Jesus? Are you spending
S2: time with God or are you spending time in His Word?
S2: Are you spending time in prayer? Are you spending time
S2: confessing sin, repenting of that, and walking rightly with God? Well,
S2: I hope that's the case, and I hope that you
S2: can find encouragement from this verse in Philippians one six
S2: that if God began to work in you, he is
S2: going to see it through. Let's join Pastor Ford as
S2: we continue this message. God will always finish what he started.
S1: No matter how bad you done messed up, I still
S1: got something better. The best is yet to come. Come on,
S1: say it, say it. The best is yet. Say it again.
S1: The best is yet to come. Wait a minute. Wait
S1: wait wait wait, wait a minute. So what's verse 30?
S1: Verse 30 is your. Not yet. Verse 31 is your
S1: right now. And I want you to know that your
S1: right now will not stop you from your. Not yet.
S1: So whenever your right now looks bad, look to your.
S1: Not yet. Not to your right now. Because you're not yet.
S1: I got you prosperous in your right now everything's tore
S1: up from the floor up. But if you focus on
S1: your right now, you'll never get to your not yet.
S1: So focus on your not yet because you're not yet
S1: will drag you. Come on man, from your right now. Whoo!
S1: Pastor Ford. Pastor ford, pastor ford. It's a sorry dog.
S1: Won't wag his own tail. Yeah, that's preaching there. And
S1: so what happens this year is my best year. How
S1: do you know that? I got a promise. You ain't
S1: seen it yet. I got a promise. You don't know
S1: what's going to happen. I got a promise. You don't
S1: know how long you're going to live. I got a promise.
S1: And so let me tell you how I read it.
S1: Pastor Ford, being confident of this very thing, that he
S1: who hath begun a good work in Pastor Ford will
S1: perform it for Pastor Ford until the day of Jesus Christ.
S1: I put my name there. Alright, alright. You say, what
S1: about my name? Put your own name there. their claim
S1: your own promise. I hope there's a promise that you're
S1: claiming that you're believing God for. You heard what K-Love said.
S1: She had to put her foot in the water. She
S1: quit her job before she knew that God would expand
S1: her ministry. And for 14 years, she's never been hungry.
S1: For 14 years, she's never missed an a House note payment.
S1: In 14 years, she never missed a car note payment.
S1: As a matter of fact, you saw what she said.
S1: That that when I called her, she was saying, God,
S1: how are you going to provide for this car note payment?
S1: And boom, here you call. She's been doing it for
S1: 14 years, standing on the promises of God. Um, but notice,
S1: how do I do this? How will God finish what
S1: he starts? When I hold to his promise. Here's the
S1: second thing. When I have a positive outlook, notice what
S1: the text says. Being confident. Stop. The word confident literally
S1: means to have a settled persuasion, a firm conviction. Now,
S1: I'm not giving you all of the outline, but those
S1: of you who are in outlines notice letter A would be,
S1: then it's continuously confident. In other words, being is ING word,
S1: which means then it never stops. Not this flash in
S1: the past, back and forth. You know, sometimes I'm up,
S1: sometimes I'm down. But a subtle persuasion where I am
S1: convicted and believe that I don't care what happens. God
S1: is going to do what God said he's going to do.
S1: And you can't say anything or do anything. No circumstances.
S1: Nothing that the devil does will ever persuade me of
S1: anything other than what God promised me. That's right. Amen. See?
S1: Say this with me. Belief is what I hold. Conviction
S1: is what holds me. That's right. Belief is what you hold.
S1: Conviction is what holds you. Does the conviction hold you.
S1: Have you ever been persuaded by a promise? Have you
S1: ever seen your circumstances change in the light of God's revelation? Right. Okay.
S1: This guy is George Mueller. He had a mega church
S1: before mega churches were ever found. But here's what he said.
S1: As a Christian God, I will never ask anyone for anything.
S1: I need God, I will never tell anyone what I
S1: need but you. Now that's some faith, isn't it? Yes
S1: it is. That's a confidence. Okay, let me read one chapter. Uh,
S1: he had orphanages, and he had, uh, about a thousand students. Uh, and, uh,
S1: he had a school as well. So they live in
S1: an orphanage and they go to school. Well, the pantry
S1: was empty and there was no food anywhere. And since
S1: he never tells anybody and he never asked anybody, he
S1: didn't ask. So that morning, the kids are ready for breakfast.
S1: And he says to them, let's pray for the food
S1: we're about to receive. All the kids are like, there
S1: is no food. The pantry pantry's empty. There's no food
S1: on the table. All the bowls are empty. All the
S1: or the glasses are empty. The plates are empty. What
S1: are you talking about? He said let's pray. And they
S1: held hands. And he said, Lord, we thank you for
S1: the food we're about to receive. Before he even finished,
S1: there was a knock at the door. It was the baker.
S1: Let me quote from now he says, uh, he says
S1: the baker stood there and said, Mr. Mueller, I couldn't
S1: sleep last night. Somehow I felt you didn't have bread
S1: for breakfast, and the Lord wanted me to send you some.
S1: So I got up at 2 a.m. and baked some
S1: fresh bread and brought it to you and the children.
S1: They're putting it on the table, and the kids, of course,
S1: are in awe and wonder. And then there's another knock
S1: at the door. It's the milkman. And he says, Mr. Mueller,
S1: my cart broke down in front of your orphanage. I
S1: can't get it fixed in time to get this milk delivered.
S1: Can you use this? 50 gallons of milk? A positive
S1: outlook based on the promise that you're not living by
S1: your situation. You're living by your revelation. That's right. Do
S1: you realize that you're the head and not the tail? Why?
S1: Because God made you the promise, even though you're not
S1: the head. Now look at your neighbor. Help me preach this. Say,
S1: quit living like a tail. Mhm. That's right. Do you
S1: realize that the first shall be last and the last
S1: shall be first? You're at the end of the line.
S1: But that's alright. Somehow God's going to get you to
S1: the head of the line. Yeah, yeah. You gotta have,
S1: you gotta have a positive outlook. Do you realize you're
S1: more than a conqueror, even though you just got conquered.
S1: Because God made you a promise? Mm. Do you realize
S1: that your setbacks are setups for your comeback? Mhm. Say
S1: it with me. It's going to happen. It's going to happen.
S1: Say it with confidence. It's going to happen. It's going
S1: to happen. Well, well what is it? I'm so glad
S1: he didn't identify it. The reason he didn't identify it.
S1: Because if he said one thing then everybody who didn't
S1: have that one thing will say, that's not my promise.
S1: But he said he called it a it. So you
S1: could put your it in it so that you will
S1: know your it is included in it. Amen. That's it.
S1: In other words, regardless of what you see now is
S1: going to happen, regardless of what you feel now, it's
S1: going to happen regardless of who gets in your way.
S1: It's going to happen regardless of what traps the devil sets.
S1: It's going to happen. There's no weapon formed against you
S1: shall prosper. We need to study that this year. Why?
S1: Because it says it was formed. In other words, they
S1: shaped it with a purpose in mind. That's what the
S1: word yat-zar means to shape with a purpose in mind. That's.
S1: Remember when he made Eve? What did he do? Yat-zar
S1: shaped with a purpose in mind. Thank you. Hallelujah. Let
S1: me take a break. So they formed it against you.
S1: It had a design. But guess what? It will never work.
S1: They'll be like Haman hanged on the gallows that they
S1: prepared for you, huh? Why? Because God promised you. And
S1: what do we know? There are four things that God
S1: can't do. Come on, stand with me. God can't lie.
S1: God can't die. God can't try, and God cannot deny himself.
S1: And so what happens here? I'll go ahead and skip it,
S1: because I was going to tell you about Paul. Paul. Uh,
S1: they were going to assassinate him, but they couldn't ask
S1: me why. Because God made him a promise. Then he
S1: was shipwrecked, but he couldn't drown. Ask me why? Because
S1: God made him a promise. Then he was on an island.
S1: He got bit by a poisonous snake. He shook it
S1: off in the fire. And I just, you know, I'm
S1: not preaching that. But I gotta say it, because I
S1: can't pass that up. You got some snakes hanging onto you.
S1: Shake them in the fire. That's what you gotta do.
S1: And so why? Because before they wanted to assassinate him.
S1: Before he had a shipwreck, before he got bit by
S1: a serpent, God said, you going to Rome and you
S1: going to witness for me in Rome? So when they
S1: tried to assassinate him, they couldn't because he had to
S1: go to Rome. He couldn't drown in the ocean because
S1: he had to go to Rome. He couldn't die from
S1: a poisonous snake because he had to go to Rome,
S1: because he had a promise. And I'm telling you, get
S1: yourself a promise. And then you hold to that promise
S1: and let that promise be the thing that governs your attitude. Alright? Amen.
S1: You're arrogant. I'm confident. I'm arrogant. I'm confident. Arrogance is
S1: when I got it all on me. Confidence when I
S1: know it's all on him.
S2: I like that definition, don't you? You're listening to Treasure
S2: Truth with Pastor Ford. A message called God will always
S2: finish what he started. And we're going to get back
S2: and finish this message in just a little bit. Hope
S2: you'll stay with us. You know, we're able to bring
S2: you Pastor Ford's teaching each day, whether it's through the radio, online,
S2: or through the Moody Radio app, because of your generosity.
S2: So a big thank you to those who have given
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S2: that's Treasure Truth radio.org and make a donation. Once again,
S2: here's Pastor Ford.
S1: Now watch this. Hold to the promise. Have a positive attitude.
S1: Know you're hooked up with a person. Notice what it says.
S1: Being confident of this very thing. That he. He. Who? Paul,
S1: why are you assuming we know who he is? Because
S1: I wrote it to the saints. And every saint ought
S1: to know who he is. You don't have to call
S1: his name know, because there's some people, like. Like you
S1: ever notice? There are people. You don't have to say
S1: their whole name, right? You just say their first name
S1: and everybody know who you're talking about. Even though there
S1: are other people who have that name. Yeah. Beyonce. You
S1: ain't got to say nothing else, Denzel. You ain't got
S1: to say nothing else. That's right. You got to say
S1: nothing else. He. Who is he? I like what he
S1: says in Colossians 128 and 29. He says, him we preach. Now,
S1: I was really good at English. That was one of
S1: my best subjects. And I learned in English 101. Him, then,
S1: is a predicate nominative. We is the personal pronoun. Preach
S1: is the verb. So then you construct your sentence with
S1: a pronoun, a verb, and a predicate nominative, because the
S1: pronoun acts upon the predicate nominative, and the predicate nominative
S1: tells you about the pronoun. But here's how Paul put it.
S1: Him we preach. He put the predicate nominative first. And
S1: we're not supposed to talk that way unless you understand him.
S1: Is the whole point. Him is the whole point. Who
S1: is him? Him is the one that supplies all my
S1: needs according to. To his riches and glory. Who's him?
S1: HIM's the one that I need. Finances. He got cattle
S1: on a thousand hill. And he'll slay some of them.
S1: Sell the beef and give me the money. Him is
S1: the one when I'm sick. He's the great physician as
S1: Walgreen Oscar in the hem of his garment. And he'll
S1: make me him is the one when I need beauty.
S1: He's the rose of Sharon. Him when I need sunshine.
S1: He's the bright and morning star. Him when I need
S1: wise counsel. He's the wisdom of the ages. Him when
S1: I need a friend. He's a friend that sticks closer
S1: than a brother. Him when I need food. He's manna
S1: from on high. Him when I'm thirsty. He's the living water.
S1: Him when I need stability. He's the Rock of ages.
S1: On Christ, the solid rock. I stand him when I'm tired.
S1: He said, come unto me, all ye that labor and
S1: are heavy laden. And I will give you rest. Take
S1: my yoke upon you. Learn of me. Him. That's who
S1: him is. Now let me tell you what happened. I've
S1: been in Chicago 37 years, but I've never been to
S1: a Bulls game. And, you know. And I've always wanted
S1: to see them live and in living color, you know,
S1: the lovable bulls. And so I get a I get
S1: a call from Pastor Green. Pastor green say, Pastor Ford,
S1: what are you doing on Friday? I said, why, you
S1: want to know? He said, because I got tickets to
S1: the Bulls game and I want you to come be
S1: my guest. He said it's going to be nice because
S1: the coach gave me the tickets and we're going to
S1: park where the coach park. And I said, show you, right?
S1: But my wife is ill. I gotta see if I
S1: can get a babysitter. Uh, I mean, a wife sitter.
S1: And so I called Ethel Hill Ford, uh, one of
S1: my relatives. And, uh, she came. She said. Yeah. So
S1: I get in the car, pick up Brother Green. So
S1: we go on down. He said, yeah, we parking in
S1: the back where the coach parked. So when we get there,
S1: the guy who's guarding it, he says, may I help you?
S1: I said, I'm with him. He said, well, what's your name, sir?
S1: He said, my name is Pastor Sampson Green. And I
S1: should have access to park back here. He said, well,
S1: I don't have your name. I don't know what to do. Uh,
S1: let me call the one who's the head of all
S1: of this. And so he got on the thing, and
S1: he want us to hear. So if the guy said
S1: he didn't have anything, we would have heard it from
S1: his boss. He said, uh, I have some guys here,
S1: and they said they're supposed to park back here. That
S1: coach told them to park back here. And, uh, he said,
S1: what's his name? He said his name, and then he
S1: had to say his name again. Pastor Samson Green. He said, oh,
S1: Pastor Green, let him in. Amen. So we went and
S1: parked down where the coaches and the players parked. Alright.
S1: Then we went in, went through the through the metal
S1: detector and they said, well, where are your tickets? Well,
S1: we got the call to see where, oh, somebody's bringing
S1: your tickets. And so, so we go there and uh,
S1: my first time, you know, and, and and I ain't
S1: in the Bob Uecker seats. I'm right down front. Okay. Yeah. Uh,
S1: but it wasn't because of who I am. Because my
S1: name couldn't get us in, and neither could Pastor Ron
S1: and the other pastor. It was the name of Samson
S1: Green that got us in. Yeah. We parked where nobody
S1: but the elite park because of his name. Uh oh. Yeah.
S1: We we we they brought us the tickets. I looked
S1: at the price. I said, that's why I ain't never
S1: been to a Bulls game. Them tickets was almost $300. Yeah,
S1: that's what it cost to go to a game and
S1: to sit where we were sitting. And then they put
S1: this tag around me and I said, oh. Oh, Lord,
S1: you done put the icing on the cake. No you didn't.
S1: This says family. Family. Whose family are you in? This
S1: is the coach's name right here. We four came in
S1: on his name. And then guess what I found out, man.
S1: We went. I paid $20 for a sandwich and a
S1: Diet Coke. We could have went to the family room
S1: and got everything that we got after the game, before
S1: the game and during the game free. All that food
S1: they had in there was free. Free. And we went
S1: into the they said, okay, you can go in here.
S1: We went in the family room where the family of
S1: the players and the coaches are waiting. One guy, they
S1: called him coach. I don't know who his son was,
S1: but he came and said, how you doing? You're new here, huh?
S1: I said, yes, I am, he said. He said, well, well,
S1: you know, you're one of your relatives play. It's a
S1: good organization. Glad to have you here. I said, it's
S1: good to be here. Man, I'm telling you. And then
S1: we came out and all the players was coming out.
S1: We said, man, here's my point. Look what he has done.
S1: It's not about us, it's about him. See, because we
S1: get in to all of the promises of God not
S1: by our name, but by his name. Yeah, that even
S1: when you pray, you gotta sign it in Jesus name
S1: or that check going to bounce. Yeah, that's what God
S1: has done and we have access into his blessings. Ephesians
S1: one three blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
S1: in Christ Jesus. And so it's because of Christ that
S1: we have access where we wouldn't have access. It's because
S1: of Jesus Christ. We have blessings where we wouldn't have blessings.
S1: It's because of Jesus Christ. We can keep walking because
S1: we know God is still working, and we can keep
S1: on doing that until we get to where God wants
S1: us to be. Here it is, and I'm done. You've
S1: been so gracious. Here's what Caleb said. He's 85 years old.
S1: God gave him a promise when he was 40. It's
S1: 45 years. And they said it's time to take the land.
S1: And they said they took the land. They said, okay,
S1: let's distribute it. And they said, shooting dice. Ha! Papa
S1: need a new pair of shoes. And Caleb, they said,
S1: grab the dice. Caleb said, Uh-Uh, I don't need the dice.
S1: I got a promise. Yeah. 45 years ago, God told
S1: me the land of the Anakin is mine. Give me
S1: my mountain. Yeah, for 45 years. Give me my mountain.
S1: I don't know what you're waiting on. I know what
S1: I'm waiting on. And I know I'm walking. Because I
S1: know God is working. And I tell him all the time.
S1: Give me my mountain. The mountain that the Lord promised
S1: to me. Some people's promise don't mean a hill of beans.
S1: The check is in the mail. I'll pay you on Friday.
S1: I so and so promised to love you so and so,
S1: in sickness and health. And until death. Some promises don't
S1: mean a thing. But God's promises will always be fulfilled.
S1: Ask me why? Why? Because God always finishes what he starts.
S1: Bless the truth to our hearts. Our father, we pray
S1: for Christ's sake.
S2: Amen. God always finishes what he started. Great. Look at
S2: Philippians chapter one and verse six over the past couple
S2: of days. And if you've missed any part of these programs,
S2: I do hope you'll come to the website and listen online.
S2: You can find us at Treasure Truth radio.org. And maybe,
S2: you know you don't have the time to sit in
S2: front of your computer. Well, you can always go get
S2: the Moody Radio app. It's a great way to listen
S2: to Pastor Ford's teaching when you're on the go. The
S2: app is free, and it's available for your Android and
S2: Apple products, and you can find that by going to
S2: your favorite app store like Google Play or the iOS
S2: App Store and searching for Moody Radio. Or we'll link
S2: you to it when you come to our website. Again,
S2: it's at Treasure Truth Radio. Well, thanks for listening today.
S2: Hope you'll join us next time. I also want to
S2: thank our producers, Amy Ruiz and Ryan McConaughey for Pastor Ford,
S2: I'm Steve Hiller. Treasure truth is a production of Moody Radio,
S2: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.