S1: On the tombstone. There's the day of one's birth and
S1: the day of one's death and a dash in the middle.
S1: You don't control the day you're born and the day
S1: you die. But you do control the dash in the middle.
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. And pastor,
S2: I remember I've been doing the Christian radio thing for
S2: a long time and years ago as a DJ, and
S2: there was a song I think the title was, and
S2: if it wasn't the title, it was like the predominant
S2: lyric of the song. It was basically asking the question,
S2: how do you live your dash? And I remember thinking
S2: about that a little bit and exactly what we're going
S2: to be talking about in today's broadcast. It's that dash
S2: between the date of your birth and the date of
S2: your death that really is so important for us to
S2: evaluate and make decisions about how we're going to live
S2: that out.
S1: Of course, because sometimes what happens is people will lie
S1: on us when we're alive and lie for us when
S1: we're dead.
S2: What do you mean by that?
S1: Well, I mean what I mean by that is this,
S1: you know, there are people who will tell lies about
S1: you while you're alive. But when you're laying in that casket,
S1: all of a sudden, you know, everyone has this, you know,
S1: euphoric memory, selective memory. Yeah. He was such a good
S1: man and such a great father. As a matter of fact,
S1: I heard a story about a husband who had died.
S1: And the wife had her five children, all in the
S1: front row. And the preacher got up to eulogize them.
S1: And he said, you know, this man was a great man.
S1: He was a good Christian. He loved his wife, and
S1: he took care of his children. Finally, the mother couldn't
S1: take it anymore. She said, Johnny, go up there and
S1: see if that's really your daddy in that casket. And
S1: so the dash is so important because it talks about
S1: what we have done in life. There's a home going
S1: and there's a funeral. Here's my distinction. A funeral is
S1: for individuals who don't know Jesus, but a homegoing is
S1: for those who do know Jesus. Because if you know
S1: Jesus on this side of heaven, when a person dies,
S1: we say, there they go. But in heaven they say,
S1: here they come. Yeah. And so then what have you contributed?
S1: Have you fulfilled your purpose and your destiny? God has
S1: gifted you and given you eternal life, and have blessed
S1: you with all blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
S1: Ephesians one three. What did you do with that dash?
S1: And so whenever I you know, I just did it.
S1: One of my members went home to be with the Lord.
S1: And just Sunday evening we had our homegoing celebration. And
S1: I said, boy, we celebrate the life, the labor, the
S1: love and the legacy of this sister, and she left
S1: a profound impact not on just our congregation. There were
S1: people there that we didn't even know, that she had
S1: taken them in and taken care of them. On and
S1: on it goes. And so you think about it. She
S1: preached her own homegoing by the way she lived.
S2: I love that. Well, we right now need to turn
S2: our attention to the Book of Esther, where in chapter four,
S2: as we begin a message entitled It's Your Time, here
S2: is Pastor Ford.
S1: A pastor was bi vocational, and there are a lot
S1: of pastors like that, especially when you plant a church. Uh,
S1: they work in the ministry and they work a secular job.
S1: I just want to go on record thanking you that
S1: I don't have to do that because of you. Thank
S1: you very much. Amen. I can devote all my time
S1: to getting on your nerves. Amen. So this pastor took
S1: on a second job as a lifeguard, and he kept
S1: wondering what was happening because people kept drowning. And so
S1: they said, we gotta find out what's going on. We
S1: got a lifeguard. We're paying this brother. So he's sitting
S1: up there in that big chair, and all of a
S1: sudden somebody is drowning. They're going down once, they're going
S1: down twice, and all of a sudden he stands up
S1: and says, I see that hand. And you'll get it
S1: on the way home. Uh, here's the reason. See, if
S1: you look at that little joke, the time came for
S1: his purpose to be fulfilled, but he was confused about
S1: his purpose. So he missed his Time and he would
S1: have to wait until next time. The old preacher used
S1: to say it this way. On the tombstone, there's the
S1: day of one's birth and the day of one's death,
S1: and a dash in the middle. Anybody ever heard him preach?
S1: What would they say? You don't control the two dates.
S1: The day you're born and the day you die. But
S1: you do control the dash in the middle. Help me
S1: preach this. Look at your neighbor and say. What are
S1: you doing with your dash? Yeah. What are you doing
S1: with your dash? See, in Esther chapter four, verse 14,
S1: it says. For such a time as this. That's all
S1: I want to talk about today. For such a time
S1: as this. Now you know the time. You know it.
S1: You know it well. Come on. What's kairos time?
S3: That's God's God perfect time.
S1: Because that's God's time. Which chronos time. That's people time.
S1: What's eschatos time? That's prophetic time. And then this word
S1: is at what time is that purpose? Time. And remember,
S1: there is no there is no hammer time. Oh man
S1: G so then every one of us has a set
S1: time that goes along with your purpose. You have a purpose,
S1: and your purpose has a time. And both of them
S1: must come together for you to reach your destiny and
S1: fulfill the purpose for which God has called you. See,
S1: if you look at circumstances, you can miss your time.
S1: And so what's going on? You know the context real quick. Uh, Esther,
S1: the king has had a 30 day headache, and, uh,
S1: Haman has gotten a writ against the Jews and they're
S1: going to kill him. It's going to be genocide. They're
S1: going to wipe them all out. And so, uh, Mordechai
S1: goes to Esther and says, hey, go to the King
S1: and beseech him that he would not destroy our people
S1: because the king didn't know that Esther was a Jew.
S1: And so and so she told him, the king has
S1: had a 30 day headache. If she went before the
S1: king and he didn't hold out his scepter, she would
S1: be killed. Remember what happened to the last queen, Vashti? Yeah.
S1: And then Mordecai hit her with those words. You know,
S1: if you don't go and get deliverance from the Jews,
S1: God's going to use somebody else. But how do you
S1: know that he hasn't called you for such a time
S1: as this? God prepared you for this time, and this
S1: time for you. See, here's how he does it with
S1: is he tonality? He controls time with his omnipotence. He
S1: controls us, and he brings them both together so we
S1: can fulfill our God given destiny. In fact, the very
S1: circumstances that makes you hesitate are to make you hurry. See,
S1: the king hasn't called for Esther. And the queen got
S1: deposed for making him upset. Yet her being removed made
S1: room for you, Esther. In other words, look, look. You
S1: are where you are now. Because someone was in the
S1: spot that God ultimately had for you, and the time
S1: wasn't right. Things weren't set up for you to take
S1: your place. But now's the time. Now's the time. Yeah,
S1: it's like she was just holding Esther's spot and stuff
S1: for the time. Yes, sir. Somebody will get it. Yeah.
S1: And so now God has made it time for you
S1: to occupy it. Somebody's holding your stuff. Somebody's holding your spot.
S1: I say it all the time. I look around because
S1: it says the wealth of the wicked is stored up
S1: for the righteous. I'm righteous. And I know that some
S1: wicked person is storing up my stuff. So every time
S1: I'm witness to an unbeliever, I wonder, is this the
S1: one that got my stuff? Y'all laughing? I'm serious about it.
S1: I'm serious. Remember what God told them? He said, I'm
S1: going to bring you into a land that flows with
S1: milk and honey. A land with fruit trees that you
S1: didn't plant, houses you didn't build. In other words, God said,
S1: I let them accumulate all of that, and I let
S1: them do it so that you can walk in and
S1: water in the wine. You come from poverty and you're
S1: going to prosperity, and all of it set out. All
S1: you got to do is walk in and possess it. Mm.
S1: Think about it. Saul was just holding David's spot, that's all. Huh? See,
S1: God moved vastly. Then the question is, can God move
S1: Esther now? Everything is set up. And notice. Notice what
S1: happens because God gave her what she needed for such
S1: a time as this. What was the gift he gave her? beauty.
S1: Her beauty became the gift that brought her entrance into
S1: the king. So that God use what he gave her. See?
S1: Let me just say it. Let me just say it. Listen, listen.
S1: You complain about what you don't have. Failing to realize
S1: that everything you need to get, where you need to go,
S1: God didn't already gave you. All you got to do
S1: is identify what God has given you. Identify who God
S1: has given you and then move out.
S2: This is treasure truth with Pastor Ford. The beginning of
S2: a message entitled It's Your Time from Esther chapter four.
S2: And we're going to continue to look at this in
S2: just one moment. If you're listening in another part of
S2: the world, we would love to hear from you. That's
S2: one of the really encouraging things about being a part
S2: of this program, is to know that not only are
S2: people listening in the Chicago area where Pastor Ford is,
S2: but literally around the globe, through the internet, through apps,
S2: and through other ways that people have found to connect
S2: with us. So let us know where you're listening and
S2: what difference Pastor Ford's Bible teaching is making in your
S2: walk with Christ. Give us your feedback by coming to
S2: Treasure Truth radio.org and click on the contact link again.
S2: That's at Treasure Truth radio.org. Back to the message. Here's
S2: Pastor Ford.
S1: Man, I wish I could talk about it. I'm not
S1: going to talk about it because I'm telling you, man,
S1: I've been I'd be set up all the time. All
S1: the time, man. It's like, you know, my new book
S1: is coming out shameful plug what to do When the
S1: Devil Talks to you. They're working on it. And and,
S1: you know, it's taking a little while, but you got
S1: to wait sometime, you know, for for the right time.
S1: And it was like one door was shut. I, you know,
S1: I'm like one of these authors. I have never been
S1: turned down for a manuscript. So when it happened, it
S1: floored me. I was like, what in the world is
S1: going on? They turned me down and I was talking
S1: to a brother and man, They turned me down. They
S1: say how many rejections you had? This is the first one.
S1: So the first three they accepted? Yeah, they turned this
S1: one down, man. He said, man, you know how many
S1: times I've been rejected before I got a book? He said, wow. Well,
S1: here it is. And so what happened? God closed that
S1: door for me because he had a hook up. I
S1: got the hook up. You hear me? Hey, that gave
S1: me a whole different audience. He hooked me up with
S1: Urban Ministries. I went in there, I said, I want
S1: you to publish my book. Uh, you've got 20,000 churches,
S1: and and I'd like to get in your publications and
S1: have my book go out there. He said, I got
S1: 40,000 churches. Then he took my manuscript and threw it
S1: on his desk. I said, what does that mean? He said,
S1: let me tell you something, Brother Ford. He said, my
S1: desk is the Thanksgiving table, and I need you to
S1: know that you are now a part of the family.
S1: And you, you want some more turkey?
S3: Amen. Amen.
S1: You know what I said? It's my time. That's what
S1: I said. I said, look how God hooked it up.
S1: He opens the door that no man can close, and
S1: he closes the door that no man can open. And
S1: I'm pushing on the door. I'm trying to get back in.
S1: And God said, I closed it so I can open
S1: up another door of opportunity, one that you haven't been
S1: in yet. You know, it's like, man, I tell you,
S1: I you know what I feel like? I feel like
S1: the man at the gas station pumping gas while he's
S1: smoking a cigarette. I'm about to blow up.
S3: God damn.
S1: And God keeps doing that, and God keeps doing that. What?
S1: What happened? He equipped us with what we need. So
S1: what is it that you have? Quit talking about what
S1: you don't have and take the resource that you have.
S1: Go back through Scripture and see where in Second Kings
S1: chapter four he said, what do you have? Now she
S1: was broke, busted, disgusted, couldn't be trusted, so poor she
S1: couldn't afford the O and the R, but he didn't
S1: ask her about what she didn't have. He said, what
S1: do you have? I got a little oil. Alright then
S1: go borrow some pots.
S3: Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Because you give God what you got and God
S1: will give you what you don't have. And you know
S1: the rest of the story. And so he reveals it
S1: to us by promise. And we learn to wait until
S1: God brings it to pass. Jacob went to it. It
S1: came to Esther. It's kind of like. It's kind of like.
S1: I like talking about it. When you had the ten lepers. Remember?
S1: It says as they went. Now, here's the part I like.
S1: I know I said it before. So what? Here's what
S1: I like. At first they were chasing it, but then
S1: it started chasing them. Y'all get that on the way home.
S1: I mean, it's like they were looking for a blessing.
S1: Then the blessing came looking for them. And so what
S1: I what am I trying to tell you? Now is
S1: the time to do what you later wish you would
S1: have done. Let me say that again. Now is the
S1: time to do what you wish you would have done later.
S1: It's your time. See, today is the tomorrow that you
S1: talked about yesterday, huh? And so it's time now. I mean,
S1: you know, it's like I'm. I'm praising God. And you
S1: know how some of us say we made New Year's
S1: resolutions in in January? You know, I'm going to lose
S1: some weight. And then we wonder when we get on
S1: the scale, why aren't we losing? Uh, I was wondering it, too.
S1: And I told my wife, let me get on this scale.
S1: Hold my Twinkies. Yesterday is a cancelled check. Tomorrow is
S1: a promissory note. Today is cash. Spend it wisely. Now
S1: is the time to do what you later wish you
S1: would have done. God gives opportunity and we need to
S1: make sure that we jump on his kairos with our chronos.
S1: Remember what happened to the children of Israel. God said, alright,
S1: I want you to go. I'm open the door. They
S1: walked around with placards. Hades! No, I won't go! Hades! No,
S1: God said, the door is open. They said, but we
S1: ain't going. God said, okay, you ain't going. All right,
S1: I'm closing the door. So then Moses told him God
S1: closed the door because y'all wouldn't go. When he told
S1: you to go. And, uh, they said, okay, we'll go.
S1: And God said, don't go. I'm not with you now.
S1: I had the door open. You wouldn't walk through the door.
S1: Now the door is shut. What happened? Somebody holler it out.
S1: What happened? They went up anyway. When God said go,
S1: they said no. And when God said no, they said go.
S1: Dead monkey on the line somewhere. And so what happened?
S1: They went up there and got jacked. They got jacked
S1: because God is a God of time. Remember what it
S1: says in Galatians four four in the fullness plethora, the
S1: fullness of time, God sent forth His Son, made of
S1: a woman made under the law to die. Jesus came
S1: at the right time. Oh, there is a right time, y'all. Oh,
S1: there is a right time. There's a set time. A
S1: fullness time. Uh, Noah was told to come into the ark,
S1: and it was time. I don't have time to go
S1: through the whole thing, but you know the chronology. What?
S1: What is set? Okay, so what I did was I
S1: went to a theological dictionary. Just. Just be patient with me, okay?
S1: Say we will, pastor. Okay. Thank you so much. Psalm
S1: 102 13. The set time to favor Zion is gone.
S1: I looked up the theological dictionary. You apply it. Now
S1: listen to this. Imma give you all ten of them.
S1: I'm going to drop them. I'm not going to push them.
S1: What does set mean, number one? To be established as
S1: a model to be set up. Number two, to be
S1: ready to catch prey, set a trap. Number three, to
S1: regulate for proper functioning, like set a thermostat and you're
S1: getting these now. I hope you're applying them as I'm.
S1: I'm saying them because I don't, you know, there's ten
S1: of them. I can't apply all of them. It'll take
S1: me all day to do that. And so number four
S1: to be positioned for action. Ready set go. Number five
S1: to harden or to congeal. He set his face like
S1: a flint to fix by decree. God has set everything
S1: in order. Number seven to furnish by example. Number eight
S1: to mark. Ready for use. Set the plate on the
S1: table to move. Number nine in a direction. He set
S1: off toward the north side, and then ten to arouse
S1: to action. He got set for battle. Do you listen
S1: to all those? And it tells us what. What this
S1: time is all about, that it's time for us to realize.
S1: It's time to do something with the dash. We must
S1: car pay. DM. Come on, say it. Car pay. DM
S1: what does it mean? Seize the day. Seize the moment.
S1: The time is right. Right now is the time to
S1: take the community. Right now is the time to go
S1: back to school. Right now is the time to start
S1: the business. Right now is the time to write your book.
S1: Right now is the time to do it now, now, now, now,
S1: now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. Today,
S1: if you hear his voice, harden not your heart. Today
S1: is the day to get saved.
S3: Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Temporary victory turned into a perpetual move of God. Mm.
S1: Andrew Carnegie, some of you know who he is, but
S1: we know him because we're from Pittsburgh. And most of
S1: his meals were in Pittsburgh, and he was a steel magnate. Uh,
S1: multi multi-billionaire back when, you know, that was he'd probably
S1: be richer than Warren Buffett today. Uh, but here's what
S1: he said. He said, uh, how'd you make it? You
S1: came here as an immigrant. How'd you make it? Well,
S1: he should have said I didn't come on a slave ship.
S1: That that'd be first. But here's what he said. Quote,
S1: we were all told America was the land of opportunity.
S1: I acted on it.
S2: It's a powerful thought, isn't it? You're listening to Treasure
S2: Truth with Pastor Ford. A message entitled It's Your Time.
S2: And we're going to continue to look at this next
S2: time on the broadcast. If you want to make sure
S2: that you don't miss any future program, come to our
S2: website and sign up to begin podcasting. Treasure truth. Just
S2: come to treasure Truth radio.org. You know, pastor, we often
S2: hear the word stewardship in Bible teaching and Christian radio,
S2: but how does that apply to supporting a program like Treasure,
S2: Truth or Moody Radio?
S1: Well, I think we need to understand that everything is
S1: God's by ownership and it's ours by stewardship. A steward
S1: is a manager of somebody else's things. Okay. And so
S1: we understand it all belongs to God. And what we
S1: want to do is we have trusted God to provide
S1: us in our giving. Now we ask God to guide
S1: us in our giving. And what we do is we
S1: begin to pray and to ask, you know, we support
S1: our local church, and then we give to the organizations
S1: that build us up and edify us. The word edify
S1: is an interesting word, literally means to build a house.
S1: And when you listen to moody radio programs like treasure, truth,
S1: and other moody sponsored programs, you're being built up in
S1: your most precious faith, and you want to make sure
S1: that that kind of thing can continue where you grow
S1: in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and
S1: Savior Jesus Christ. And that can't happen unless we have
S1: individuals who will give.
S2: Well, you can give online by coming to Treasure Truth
S2: radio.org and clicking on the donate button. Well, thanks for
S2: doing that and for listening. Thanks also to our producer,
S2: Amy Rios for Pastor Ford, I'm Steve Hiller. Treasure truth
S2: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody
S2: Bible Institute.