Gospel Light House of Prayer Int'l.

Gospel Light House of Prayer Int'l. Episodes		Date
PLAY	Is There Profit in Prayer? (Part 1)	May 22, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #38 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Job 21:15: "What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?" We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 37 messages in this series. This is message #38 titled "Is There Profit in Prayer?" Today, as we return to the book of Job, we come across a question that I am sure many people have asked. Job asks this question in the midst of a discussion about the seeming prosperity of those who do not serve God. These wicked people ask, 'Who is God that we should serve him? Why should we pray to him? Is there even any profit in prayer?' If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that at times, some of us have wondered the same thing: Why should I keep praying? What good is there in spending this time in prayer? The devil will sometimes come to us as we pray, and remind us of all of the things we could be doing instead of praying. And, if our prayers are not getting answered as fast as we want them to be answered, we are tempted to throw up our hands and say, 'What's the use?' So, taking this question from the book of Job, I want to give you tonight three reasons why prayer is profitable.
PLAY	When It Seems as Though All is Lost, You Can Always Look to God in Prayer	May 16, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #37 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Job 16:15-22 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 36 messages in this series. This is message #37 titled "When It Seems as Though All is Lost, You Can Always Look to God" On last week, we looked at the topic of prayer from a passage in the book of Job, particularly from the words of Bildad, one of Job's friends who had come to comfort him in his time of despair. As you might recall, the Bible tells us that Job was "the greatest of the men of the east." He had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, and a large household, consisting of seven sons, three daughters, and multiple servants. He was also "blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil." However, because the devil wanted to cause Job to turn his back on God, God allowed the devil to test Job by causing all of Job's material possessions to be taken from him or destroyed. His ten children also lost their lives, and Job was struck with a severe disease. God had allowed the devil to take everything away from Job except his own life. After this calamity, three of Job's friends came by to mourn with him and counsel him regarding what he should do. And these three friends are infamous for not being very comforting at all. In fact, in the first verse of chapter 16 which contains our passage for today, Job tells his friends, "miserable comforters are ye all." Now, as I mentioned last week, I am aware that there is some debate in the theological community over whether or not we should preach doctrine from the book of Job. But, as long as these words line up with Scripture and teaching found elsewhere in the Bible, I believe it is alright. And that is what we will do again today. In this passage, Job is speaking in response to one of his friends, Eliphaz. Eliphaz was the friend who took it upon himself to defend God's justness in allowing such a disaster to fall on Job, and he believed that Job's suffering was a result of Job sinning. In this passage, as Job is struggling to understand the difficulties that have befallen him and is defending himself against the accusations of Eliphaz, he shows us where we should look to in our own times of trouble and distress, when it seems as though all is lost. Let's go through this passage, and see how we can identify with Job, and learn from his experience.
PLAY	If You Can Pray, You Still Have Hope	May 8, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #36 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Job 8:1-7 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 35 messages in this series. This is message #36 titled "If You Can Pray, You Have Hope" Many of you are familiar with the story of Job in the Old Testament. Job lived in Edom, an area to the south and east of the Dead Sea. The Bible tells us that Job was "the greatest of the men of the east." He had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, and a large household, consisting of seven sons, three daughters, and multiple servants. He was also "blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil." Because the devil wanted to cause Job to turn his back on God, God allowed the devil to test Job by causing all of Job's material possessions to be taken from him or destroyed. His ten children also lost their lives, and Job was struck with a severe disease. His wife was ready to thrown in the towel. She told Job to "curse God and die." God had allowed the devil to take everything away from Job except his own life. After this calamity, three of Job's friends came by to mourn with him and counsel him regarding what he should do. These three friends are infamous for not being very comforting to Job at all. E-li-phaz defended God's justness in allowing such a disaster to fall on Job and said this suffering must have been a result of Job sinning. Bil-dad believed that Job's children must have sinned and said that sinners could only expect judgment from God. Zo-phar was the harshest of Job's friends. He said that Job deserved even more suffering than he was getting and that he needed to repent. Now, I am aware that there is some debate in theological circles over whether or not we should use the words of Job's "miserable friends" to preach from as doctrine. But, as long as these words line up with Scripture and teaching found elsewhere in the Bible, I believe it is alright. And that is what we will do tonight. While Job's three friends are wrong to have assumed that Job had sinned, much of what they said is correct, theologically speaking. However, it was advice given in the wrong spirit and in the wrong context. But we can read of Job's experience and the counsel of his friends and "eat the chicken and leave the bones" as they say. Today, as we continue this series on prayer, we are going to focus on some of Bildad's words from verses 5, 6, and 7 of Job chapter 8. Bildad tells Job that, if his heart is right, and if he prays to God, God will hear him and will restore his blessings on him and make him prosperous again. Now, I doubt if any of us have suffered like Job suffered. The sufferings that Job experienced in one day, most of us will not even see in a lifetime. However, there probably have been times when we have felt like Job -- like all was lost, like there was no hope, as though we were at the end of our rope. It is at times like these that we can take Bildad's advice and remember the power of prayer -- because as long as we can pray, we can have hope no matter what situation we are in.
PLAY	"Thanksgiving in Prayer"	May 1, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #35 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Nehemiah 11:17 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 34 messages in this series. This is message #35 titled "Thanksgiving in Prayer" Over these past two weeks, we have looked at a man named Nehemiah, and we have seen how he was used by God to lead the children of Israel in the major project of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem after the exile. Last week, we saw how he faced opposition, and we saw how he overcame it through prayer. We also learned that the three ingredients for a successful prayer life are: consistent prayer, persistent prayer, and shared prayer. Today, as we come to Nehemiah once again, we find that the walls of Jerusalem have been finished and the city has been rebuilt. Nehemiah has led the exiles who returned to the Holy Land in re-establishing the law as well as in celebrating the feasts that God had commanded them to celebrate. The people of Israel who had returned and been re-established in the land had a lot to be thankful for: not only had their homes and cities been rebuilt, but they had been saved from their enemies who tried to sabotage their work. And we find, in the middle of this chapter, which is listing the names of those who settled in the newly rebuilt Jerusalem, the name of the man who led the people in giving thanks to God. His name was Mattaniah, and the Bible says he was the "principal" or the leader who began the time of thanksgiving and praise in prayer to God. The Bible says that God "inhabits" or dwells in the praises of his people. Why is it important for us spend time thanking God through prayer? Allow me to share with you three reasons. 1. Thanksgiving is a part of public worship. Mattaniah was one of the Levites, and the Bible states that he was "the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer." The word "principal" means "head" or "chief". His job was to lead the people of Israel in a time of public worship and thanksgiving to God. 2. Thanksgiving is a response to God's mercy in our lives. One of the reasons why Mattaniah led the people in thanking God is because of God's mercy toward the children of Israel. In Nehemiah 9:31, Nehemiah prays, "Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God." God had shown great mercy in allowing the Israelites to survive the captivity and return to the land of Israel. Despite their sins, God restored them to the land as he had promised. 3. Thanksgiving is a response to answered prayer. Mattaniah was able to lead the children of Israel in giving thanks to God because God had answered their prayers. As you will recall from our message on last week, Nehemiah had led the people in "making their prayer unto our God" while they were building the wall and being threatened by their enemies. Now that the walls were built, and they had been delivered from their enemies, the appropriate response was to give thanks to God in prayer.
PLAY	How to Have a Successful Prayer Life	April 24, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #34 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Nehemiah 4:7-9 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 33 messages in this series. This is message #34 titled "How to Have a Successful Prayer Life" In 1952, a doctoral student at Princeton University asked, "What is there left in the world for original dissertation research?" The visiting lecturer, Albert Einstein, said: "Find out about prayer. Somebody must find out about prayer." Well, people have been "finding out about prayer" for hundreds of years -- not through research papers, but by the experience of praying and having prayers answered. Have you ever wondered why some people's prayers seem to be answered and others' are not? Have you ever wanted to know the way to be successful in your prayer life? The Bible actually answers these questions for us, and we will see these reasons in the life of Nehemiah from the passage we just read. As you know, we began talking about Nehemiah last week. We saw how he was deeply concerned about the lack of progress that was being made by the Jewish exiles who had returned to Jerusalem from Persia. So, he decided to do something about it. He went to the king, and asked for permission to travel to the land of Israel to lead the people in building up the city. The king was supportive of him, and gave him permission to do as he wished. Now, Nehemiah is in the city. He has rallied the people together, and they are rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. As with any great work that anyone sets out to do for the glory of God, there will be opposition. Nehemiah's opposition comes in the form of San-bal-lat, a Samaritan and an official in the Persian Empire; Tobiah, an Ammonite who may have been the governor of Ammon; along with the Arabians and the Ammonites who plotted to attack Jerusalem to prevent the Jews from building the wall of the city. From these few verses, let's see how Nehemiah dealt with this opposition through prayer and came out on top. 1. Nehemiah was consistent in prayer. He says in verse 9 of our passage that despite the threat of attack, "nevertheless we made our prayer unto God." Even in that hostile environment, Nehemiah and his people continued to pray. They did not let the threat of war get them off of their duty. Too often, when we face opposition, conflict, or some negativity, we allow that situation to cause us to get off of our game -- we stop praying and stop doing what we have been doing, and try to deal with the situation on our own and in our own power. But Nehemiah didn't change his plan once he faced opposition, he went right on praying and building. Why was he able to do this? 2. Nehemiah was persistent in prayer. Verse 9 tells us that Nehemiah and his people were building and praying "day and night." Persistent prayer is praying about the same thing until you get an answer. As long as Nehemiah was being threatened by those who wished to hinder the building of Jerusalem, he kept on praying for the safety of his workers and for God to deliver them from their enemies. 3. Nehemiah shared the burden of prayer. Notice Nehemiah's words: he said "WE made OUR prayer to God." Nehemiah did not try to do all of the praying himself. He got others on his team to pray with him. Just as the building of the walls was a community effort, the praying was a community effort. God blesses group prayer in a very special way. Jesus said in Matthew 18:18-20: Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth s
PLAY	The Marks of the Genuinely Concerned	April 17, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #33 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Nehemiah 1:1-11 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 32 messages in this series. This is message #33 titled "The Marks of the Genuinely Concerned" I hope that you pray for others regularly, and I hope that you pray for the needs of other believers regularly, because as followers of Christ, we ought to be concerned for one another. The evangelist and author Leonard Ravenhill said, "The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church, grieved at the blindness of the Church, grieved at the corruption in the Church, grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church..." In other words, a true man of God, a true woman of God, has a level of concern for their brothers and sisters in Christ. The Bible tells us about a man who was genuinely concerned about his people -- the Jews. Some 400 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the nation of Israel and the Jewish people were in a state of disarray. Both Israel and Judah had been conquered. Many of the inhabitants of those countries were carried off to Assyria and Babylon. Jerusalem was in ruins, and Solomon's glorious temple was destroyed. Without divine intervention, Jerusalem would have ended up like many other ancient cities -- completely forgotten except to history. When the Jews arrived in Babylon, they began to make homes for themselves there. Some say that two to three million Jews had been deported, and when, after 70 years, the time and opportunity came for them to return to their homeland, only 50,000 initially decided to return. Our passage for today, the first chapter of the book of Nehemiah, begins almost 100 years after the first captives returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra. In that time, very little had been done to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Everything still looked very bleak. Allow me to share with you three marks of the genuinely concerned which are demonstrated by the actions of Nehemiah. 1. Nehemiah showed genuine concern by asking about the matter. Nehemiah writes, 'when Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.' Nehemiah shows his concern by asking about the condition of the Jews who had been left behind in Israel, and about the condition of the city of Jerusalem. He wants to know what is going on and how everyone is doing. Sometimes, to show that you are concerned about someone, all you have to do is ask them how they are doing. 2. Nehemiah showed genuine concern by praying about the matter. Nehemiah's brother shares with him the sad state of affairs in Israel. He says that those who were left in Israel "are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and gates are burned with fire." Upon hearing this news, Nehemiah says, "I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven." Nehemiah's genuine concern for his people causes his heart to break upon hearing the sad state of affairs of his people who are in the land of Israel. 3. Nehemiah showed genuine concern by determining to do something about the matter. The last verse of Nehemiah chapter 1 gives us a glimpse of what Nehemiah had in mind to do following his prayer. Nehemiah asks God to "prosper thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man (the king). For I was the king's cupbearer."
PLAY	Learning to Pray the Hard Way	April 11, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #32 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 2 Chronicles 33:10-13 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 31 messages in this series. This is message #32 titled "The Tragedy of Having to Learn the Hard Way" In our passage for today, we are introduced to King Manasseh of the kingdom of Judah. He was the son of King Hezekiah. As you might recall, I have preached four messages in this series on prayer based on events in the life of King Hezekiah, who was a praying man. He was also a righteous and godly king. Unfortunately, his son, Manasseh, was not. In fact, we will see that the very thing that God prevented because of the prayers of Manasseh's father, he allowed because of the rebelliousness and disobedience of Manasseh. Manasseh and Hezekiah were very different men. And we will see today the difference in how God dealt with each of these men. 1. First, let's look at King Manasseh as the man who would not listen. Verse 10 of our passage states that, "the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken." Why was God trying to get the attention of King Manasseh and his people? Well, Manasseh was not obeying the Lord his God. If we look at verses 3 through 9 of this passage, we will see that Manasseh had rebuilt the high places, the places of idolatry, that his father had torn down. Instead of continuing in his father's footsteps and keeping the nation of Judah on the straight and narrow path, Manasseh deliberately turns the nation back to idolatry. 2. Now, let's look at Manasseh as the man who had to be punished. Notice verse 11: "Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon." Because Manasseh willingly rebelled against God, God allowed the Assyrians to conquer Jerusalem and take Manasseh captive. The Bible uses the term, "they took him among the thorns" -- this means that the Assyrians, following their custom with foreign kings, ran a hook or ring through Manasseh's lips or mouth before they took him to the Assyrian king. They treated captive kings just like they treated cattle. God punished Manasseh and the people of Judah for rebelling against Him by allowing the Assyrians to conquer them. 3. Now, let's look at Manasseh as the man who learned his lesson. Verse 12 of our passage reads, "And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers..." Notice the phrase, "when he was in affliction." Unfortunately, some of us are like Manasseh. We have to be afflicted, we have to be punished, we have to go through hard times before we turn to the Lord.
PLAY	Loving Sinners and Praying for Sinners	March 27, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #31 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 2 Chronicles 30:15-20 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 30 messages in this series. This is message #31 titled "Loving Sinners and Praying for Sinners". Our passage for today is set in the time of the Divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The northern kingdom of Israel had been defeated by the Assyrian army. God allowed the Assyrian army to take over Israel because Israel had turned to worshiping idols and, despite numerous warnings, refused to turn back to God. However, the southern kingdom of Judah was still holding on, and at this time, the southern kingdom had a righteous leader, King Hezekiah. Having seen what happened to the northern kingdom, Hezekiah planned a large Passover celebration at Jerusalem and invited the people who remained in the land of Israel to attend as well. Seeing that the northern kingdom was without a real leader, this was probably Hezekiah's attempt to unite all of the children of Israel as one nation once again. Hezekiah's decision to invite the idolatrous northern tribes to Jerusalem for the Passover may have been a controversial one. But, God's hand was with Hezekiah, and He guided him in putting together this great event. Today, I want us to notice three things that Hezekiah did that the church today can learn from when we are dealing with the world, or even when we are dealing with other Christians who have fallen into sin and unrepentance. 1. Notice that Hezekiah worked to make sure his own people were right with God. What do you think would have happened if the members of the northern tribes came to the Passover celebration, and they found that the children of Judah were not right with God themselves? Well, the Israelites would have mocked them. They would have said, 'How dare you invite us to celebrate Passover when you're not right with God yourselves.' 2. Notice that Hezekiah lovingly invited those who were not righteous to the feast. The northern kingdom had been hit hard by Assyria. Many of those of royal blood and those of the upper classes had been taken captive. Most of the people who were left behind were poor commoners who were farmers struggling to survive. These people had a religion that was corrupted -- the worship of Jehovah mixed with pagan rituals. Yet, despite such a sad state of affairs, Hezekiah wanted to invite them to the Passover feast in Jerusalem. 3. Notice how Hezekiah prayed for the children of the northern kingdom. Once the Passover celebration was underway, Hezekiah realized that many of the people whom he had invited from the northern kingdom were ritually unclean and thus, according to Mosaic Law, should not be partaking in the Passover meal. The Bible says that "a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the Passover otherwise than it was written."
PLAY	What Would Happen if God's People Stop Playing and Start Praying? (Part 2)	March 20, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #30 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 2 Chronicles 7:12-15 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 29 messages in this series. This is message #30 titled "What Would Happen if God's People Stop Playing and Start Praying? (Part 2)" Last week, we began looking at some familiar verses in 2 Chronicles chapter 7. Most of us have heard these verses time and time again, and we think that we know them well. But, in times of crisis, it is good to look back at lessons from the past, and see how those lessons can help us today. George Santayana said, "Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it." So, we are looking at these words that God gave to Solomon hundreds of years ago, and applying them to our present situation. We have already seen from these verses that God expects to hear from His people in prayer. He expects us to pray humbly, and not only to pray, but to turn away from our sins as well. Today, let's look at the response that God promises if we do all three of these things. 1. God will hear our prayers. Perhaps you have heard people say, 'It doesn't feel like my prayers are getting past the roof' or 'All my prayers just seem to hit the ceiling.' Perhaps you have said something like this yourself. The person who says this is expressing his or her view that their prayers are not getting through to God. God has a promise for believers who take the steps that we discussed last week: pray, seek God's face, humble themselves, and repent of their sins. God will begin to hear our prayers once again. 2. God will forgive us of our sins. Yes, the next thing that God promises to do for us is, He will forgive us of our sins. First John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins, God will be faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. Forgiveness is a result of going to God in prayer and confessing our sins. 3. God will restore his blessings to us. In verse 14 God says that He will "heal their land". This means that God will remove the curses, and restore the hand of blessing to the nation of Israel. If we look at verse 13, we will remember that these prayers are made on an occasion when God 'has shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if locusts are devouring crops, or if God has caused a pestilence, that is an epidemic disease, to spread throughout the population.' God is saying that if His people pray humbly and confess and repent of their sins, he will remove these curses from the land. He will "heal the land", and restore his blessings upon it.
PLAY	What Would Happen if God's People Stop Playing and Start Praying?	March 13, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #29 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 2 Chronicles 7:12-15 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 28 messages in this series. This is message #29 titled "What Would Happen if God's People Would Stop Playing and Start Praying? (Part 1)" King Solomon, the son of King David, was the third king of Israel. He was the one who built the magnificent temple in Jerusalem which was dedicated to the worship and service of God. Our passage today tells us of God's second appearance to Solomon which came after the dedication of this Temple. The first time God appeared to Solomon, God told Solomon to ask of him anything and he would give it to him. As you know, Solomon asked for wisdom. Because Solomon asked for wisdom, God said that he would also gave him riches, long life, and a peaceful reign. Now, after Solomon has finished building the Temple, God appears to him again. This appearance came at a particularly dangerous time in Solomon's life -- it came after a season of great blessing and accomplishment -- a dangerous time because after seasons of blessing and accomplishment, we have a tendency to stop doing what we were doing that brought the blessings and accomplishments. G. Campbell Morgan said, "No height attained, no work done, no blessing received, is in itself sufficient to ensure our continuance in the favor of God. Nothing but continued faithfulness can do that." Sometimes, we fail to continue being faithful in doing the things that brought the blessing, not only in our personal lives, but also as a church family, as a community, and as a nation. I read an article that gave a report on some research that showed how that the more prosperous a nation was economically, the less religious that nation became. In fact, some of the most religious nations on this earth are also some of the poorest nations. The implication seems to be that when a nation or a people gain success and prosperity, they tend to push God and faith to the sidelines. That is what happened in Solomon's life. That is what eventually happened to the nation of Israel. And that is what is happening to America today. In response to this action, God often sends punishment on that person or on that nation. God says to Solomon, "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people..." These bad things will begin to happen if a nation turns away from God. But God's punishment does not indicate that he is forsaking and abandoning us. On the contrary, God's punishment reflects his desire for us to learn the lessons that he is trying to teach us so that we can begin receiving his blessings once again. And if we are serious about learning those lessons, God also tells us what we should do in response. He says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways..." This is the role that we have to play in order to turn things around in our lives and in our nation. Let's dig into this passage and see what would happen if God's people would stop playing and start praying.
PLAY	Lessons from Living in a Strange Land (Part 5)	March 10, 2013
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #23 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Genesis 45:1-8 During our last time together, we saw how God raised up Joseph from the prison to a position of power in Egypt. After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream through the spirit of God, Pharaoh appointed Joseph to take charge over the entire land during the seven years of plenty so that the seven years of famine would not be so devastating. Joseph wisely stored up extra crops during the seven years of plenty so that when the famine hit, he could distribute it to the people of Egypt. At that time, Egypt was the only major power in that part of the world. So when the famine affected that entire region, all of the people in that region looked to Egypt for assistance. The Bible tells us that the famine also affected Joseph's family back in Canaan. Jacob, his eleven other sons, and their families soon ran out of food, so Jacob sent his sons down to Egypt to buy food from Pharaoh. The Bible relates to us how Joseph tested his brothers to see if they were truly sorry for the wrong that they had done to him those many years ago. We are not going to get in to that part of the story today, however, suffice it to say that they indeed passed the tests. Joseph saw that they truly had changed and were sorry for what they had done. It was at this point that Joseph decided to reveal himself to them, and that is where we pick up on the story today.
PLAY	Lessons from Living in a Strange Land (Part 3)	March 10, 2013
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #21 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Genesis 40 Today, we once again turn to the life of Joseph in the Word of God. Joseph was an Israelite, the beloved son of Jacob, who had been sold by his own brothers into slavery in Egypt. God did not abandon Joseph in Egypt. The Bible tells us that the Lord was with him and made everything that he did to prosper. Potiphar, a government official, saw this blessing on Joseph's life and made him the manager of his entire household. However, in our last message, we saw how Potiphar's wife tried to get Joseph to sin by committing adultery with her, and when Joseph refused to do so, she lied on him and had him sent to prison. We are taking our time and going through this period in the life of Joseph together because there are so many valuable lessons that we can learn and apply to our own lives when we have to deal with negative and hostile situations as followers of Christ. Even in terrible circumstances, we can still maintain our faith in Christ and maintain a positive attitude and outlook on life. We see these qualities displayed in the life of Joseph even when he is in prison.
PLAY	The Hidden Blessing in the Midst of Persecution (Part 2)	March 10, 2013
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #9 TEXT: Matthew 10:24-32 Last week, we began looking at the ten blessings that we receive because we choose to serve Jesus Christ despite the high cost of following Him. We saw that there is a blessing in simply being sent by Jesus, in being given words by the Holy Spirit, in experiencing God's fatherly care, in gaining the rewards of salvation, and in knowing that the Son of Man is one day coming in judgment and mercy. Today, let's look at the remaining five blessings of serving Christ in the face of persecution.
PLAY	The Hidden Blessing in the Midst of Persecution (Part 1)	March 10, 2013
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #8 TEXT: Matthew 10:16-23 Over the past two weeks, we have been spending time in God's Word in Matthew chapter 10. We have looked at the six types of persecution that Jesus Christ told his disciples they would face as he sent them out into the world to preach the kingdom of God. Today, I want to draw you attention to this same passage for different reasons. As they say, there are two sides to every story, and this passage is no different. Yes, Christ gave his disciples and us six forms of persecution that we may have to face, but He also gave His disciples and us ten blessings that we receive because we choose to serve Him despite the high cost of being a follower of Christ. Today, let's look at the first five blessings of serving Christ in the face of persecution.
PLAY	The High Cost of Following Christ (Part 1)	March 10, 2013
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #6
PLAY	David's Other Great Sin and Prayer	March 6, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #28 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 1 Chronicles 21:13-17 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 27 messages in this series. This is message #28 titled "David's Other Sin." We oftentimes talk about David's sins of adultery and murder. But, we rarely hear about David's sin of pride as recorded in our passage today. This sin came at a time late in David's reign, when the nation was at rest from all of its enemies, when the country was prosperous and at peace. Oftentimes, when things have been going well for people for some time, they have a tendency to make a mistake which causes them to mess things up. These mistakes happen because they grow lax in their devotion to God, they are not as vigilant in resisting the devil, and they allow a little temptation to slip past the door of their hearts. Just this past week, I had to remind my family that when things are going well, they have to be extra soberminded, and extra prayerful, because those are the times when the devil is waiting in the corner ready to pounce on somebody who has let their guard down. In our passage today, we find that David let his guard down at a time when things were doing well. And because he did not resist the devil, he messed up in a big way. 1. How did David let his guard down? In the midst of the prosperity and success of the kingdom, the Bible says that "Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." This is the first time the word "Satan" is used as a proper name in the Bible. The name "Satan" means adversary or one who withstands. Satan was the enemy of Israel and he was trying to get King David to do something that he knew God would be displeased with. He was trying to get David to number the fighting men of Israel. The Hebrew word for "provoke" means to "incite" of to "lure". Satan started to mess with David's mind, telling him how great he was, feeding his pride and his ego, until David decided he wanted to know how many men he had at his command. 2. Notice the punishment that resulted from David's sin. The Bible says that after Joab brought the results of the census back to David, "God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel." The Hebrew word for smite has several meanings ranging from killing someone to a plague that affects crops. But verse 14 of our passage tells us that God sent a pestilence against Israel that caused seventy thousand men of Israel to die. The very thing which had become the source of David's pride was now the source of David's pain and punishment. 3. Notice how David repented. The Bible says that when David saw the destruction of the people of Israel, he said to God, "Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued." David admitted his sin and admitted that he deserved his punishment. He asked God to have mercy on the children of Israel. Thankfully, David was a man who kept short accounts with God. He did not let sin pile up in his life. Whenever he was confronted with his own wrongdoing, either by God or by others, he immediately confessed and repented in prayer to God.
PLAY	Lessons from Living in a Strange Land (Part 4)	March 4, 2013
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #22 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Genesis 41:14-16 Today, we return again to the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. The last time we were together, we saw that Joseph was in prison with Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker. God had caused the prison keeper to show favor to Joseph, and Joseph had been placed in charge of the prison. We also saw how Joseph was humble and willing to serve. He shared his faith and confidence in God even in a bad situation. And he truthfully proclaimed God's Word, even when it was negative. When the chief butler and the chief baker both had dreams, Joseph, through God's spirit, was able to interpret the dreams -- the chief baker would be hung, and the chief butler would be restored to his position. Both of these events came to pass as Joseph had predicted. Joseph asked the chief butler to remember him when he was released from prison. However, unfortunately, the chief butler forgets Joseph. Did this cause Joseph to lose hope? Did he give up on God? Did he think that God had forgotten him as he languished in an Egyptian prison? I don't think so. From our passage today in Genesis 41, we see that even when things do not go our way, even when people forget us and do not do right by us, God never forgets us. In Isaiah 49, the children of Israel say, "The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." But God responds, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." God assures his people that even though a human mother may forget and neglect her child, God will never forget his people. And we see from Joseph's story, that God did not forget him. 1. God is always working on our behalf, even when it seems like nothing is happening. 2. When Joseph was raised up, he gave all the glory to God 3. God rewarded Joseph for his faithfulness
PLAY	How to Get Out of an Impossible Situation	February 27, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #27 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 2 Kings 20:1-11 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 26 messages in this series. This is message #27 titled "How to Pray for Healing and Life." As you might recall, our previous two messages in this series came from the life of King Hezekiah as recorded in the book of Second Kings. And our message today also deals with the events in the life of King Hezekiah. If you are wondering why we are talking about Hezekiah so much, it is simply because Hezekiah evidently was a praying man. He understood the power of prayer to God, and he frequently communicated with God in prayer. However, no matter how spiritual or in tune with God one may be, that does not cause one to be exempt from troubles and problems in this life. God never promised that this life would be smooth sailing, even if you are a follower of Christ. In fact, Jesus Christ promised his disciples that they would certainly have trouble on this side of heaven. And Philip Melanchthon, the German reformer who worked with Martin Luther said, "Trouble and perplexity drive me to prayer and prayer drives away perplexity and trouble." So, even though Hezekiah was a righteous king; even though he was a good man and a praying man, we see in this passage that trouble visited his house once again. The first two times trouble came, it was in the form of the Assyrian army threatening to destroy Jerusalem. But this third time, trouble hits Hezekiah much closer to home. 1. Notice Hezekiah's severe sickness. The Bible says that "In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death..." What were "those days" that this passage is referring to. Well, historians say that Hezekiah's sickness came during the time of the Assyrian invasion. This was an especially bad time for Hezekiah to fall ill. He had the responsibility of defending Jerusalem against her enemies, he was trying to encourage his people to trust in the Lord and not lose heart, and now, he had to deal with a severe sickness as well. The Bible does not tell us exactly what this sickness is besides the fact that it involved boils on the skin. This was not just a bad case of the flu; this was a sickness that Hezekiah nearly died from. 2. Notice Hezekiah's private prayer. The Bible tells us that right after he received the message that he would die, Hezekiah "turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord". We see here once again that Hezekiah's reaction in difficult situations was to immediately go to the Lord in prayer. When the Assyrian leaders were threatening to destroy Jerusalem, he went up to the house of the Lord and he called the prophet Isaiah to pray with him. When he received a threatening letter from the King of Assyria, he immediately "spread the matter" before the Lord in prayer. And now, we see that when he is incapacitated and laying on his death bed, he once more goes to the Lord in prayer. 3. Notice the amazing answer that Hezekiah received. Evidently, Isaiah left the room as Hezekiah was praying. And the Bible says that before he could get off the palace grounds, God told him, "Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord." What an amazing answer to prayer! Just a few minutes after Hezekiah began praying and pouring his heart out to God, God sent his answer through the prophet Isaiah -- Hezekiah would live for 15 more years.
PLAY	The End Result of Persecution	February 27, 2013
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #5 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Matthew 5:10-12 I want to take a brief look at the end result of persecution. Oftentimes we get so bogged down in the details that we fail to see the big picture of what's going on. Today, we will look at three results of persecution according to the Bible. I. Your persecutors may become fellow believers. II. God's will will be accomplished. III. You will be rewarded in Heaven
PLAY	Lessons from Living in a Strange Land (Part 2)	February 27, 2013
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #20 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Genesis 39:7-23 As we continue our series on persecution, last week we began looking at the life of Joseph in Egypt. Joseph was a Hebrew young man who was taken to live in a foreign, pagan, and hostile land. Not only was Egypt a hostile place for Joseph because it had different customs, a different culture, and a different religion, but Egyptians hated Hebrews because the Hebrews were shepherds, and Egyptians considered shepherding to be one of the most demeaning occupations. In fact, we find out from Joseph's story that the Egyptians would not even eat at the same table with a Hebrew. As a young man who was determined to remain faithful to God in such a situation, his story bears lessons for us as Christians who often find ourselves in situations that are not friendly to us or to our faith in Jesus Christ. Last week, we learned from Joseph's story that when we find ourselves in such a situation, we should first understand that the Lord is with us, and that he will never leave us. Secondly, we should make it our goal to abide in peace with those around us. And, third, we should remain faithful and obedient to God no matter what happens. In our passage today, we find that Joseph is doing just that when he is met with temptation in the form of Potiphar's wife. Now, if you remember, Potiphar was an officer in the royal court. He was the captain of the guard -- the head of Pharaoh's "Secret Service", if you will -- and he had bought Joseph to be the manager of his household. The word "officer" in the Hebrew Bible comes from the root word for "castrate" and it is the same word elsewhere translated as "eunuch". Historians tell us that it was a common practice in the ancient near east for rulers to make their highest officals "eunuchs" so that they would be wholly devoted to their king. So, if Potiphar was indeed a eunuch, and his marriage was merely ceremonial, that may explain why Potiphar's wife was seeking sexual interaction outside of the bonds of marriage. Additionally, unlike many other societies of that day, the position of women in Egyptian society is believed to be equal to that of men. We know that there were at least three female Pharaohs and two female regents who took the throne because their sons were too young to reign. The women of ancient Egypt also had a reputation for immorality in the ancient world. So, Joseph is repeatedly tempted by Potiphar's wife. Thankfully, Joseph resisted the temptation. When we are in situations that are not friendly to Christian beliefs, we will be tempted to succumb to the standards and practices of the world. But, we see three things from Joseph's story that will help us resist those temptations.
PLAY	Take it to the Lord in Prayer	February 20, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #26 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 2 Kings 19:8-37 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 25 messages in this series. This is message #26 titled "Take it to the Lord in Prayer." In our last message in this series on prayer we were introduced to King Hezekiah of Judah. We learned that King Hezekiah was a good king who ruled his kingdom well. However, one day he received some bad news in the form of an Assyrian army at the gates of Jerusalem. We saw that King Hezekiah immediately went into the house of the Lord and then he asked the prophet Isaiah to pray for the city regarding this matter. God answered the prayers of King Hezekiah and delivered Jerusalem from destruction by causing a distraction for the Assyrians in the form of an Egyptian army that had to be dealt with before the Assyrian king could carry on his assault against Jerusalem. While Assyria's occupation with the Egyptian army provided a reprieve for the city of Jerusalem, it did not resolve the conflict. As we see in our passage today, the Assyrians turned their attention to the Jewish people once again. Let's look at this passage, and once more, we will see the power of God in response to prayer. 1. First of all, notice the repeated threat. When the King of Assyria heard that the Egyptians were on the march, he did not leave the land of Judah without repeating his threat to the city of Jerusalem. He told his officers to write a letter to King Hezekiah. In the letter he told Hezekiah, "Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered?" 2. Secondly, notice the reaction of the king. Verse 14 tells us that "Hezekiah received the letter, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord." Hezekiah did exactly what any child of God should do in such a situation. He spread the matter before the Lord. First Peter 5:7 says that we should cast all our care upon Him because He cares for us. One of the greatest mistakes you can make in this life is to try and bear all of your burdens alone when Jesus Christ is there with you and he wants to carry those burdens if you will just let go of them. You have to stop wanting to control everything and place everything in God's hands. 3. Now, notice the result of Hezekiah's prayer. The Bible tells us that "Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard..." Have you ever tried to talk to somebody, and it seemed as though they were not really listening to you. They may have been nodding their head and acting as though they were listening, but they were not really hearing what you were saying. Well, it is such a blessing to know that God does not treat us that way. He listens to everything we have to say to Him. And in this passage, we see where He gives Isaiah a message that starts out by saying, "Hezekiah, I have heard your prayer."
PLAY	What to Do When You Receive Bad News	February 13, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #25 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 2 Kings 19:1-8 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 24 messages in this series. This is message #25 titled "What to Do When You Receive Bad News." Hezekiah was the sixteenth king of Judah. He reigned during the time of the divided kingdom, when Israel had her own king and Judah had her own king. Hezekiah was a good king who led the nation in the proper worship of God. He destroyed the idols and pagan altars that previous wicked kings had set up. He renewed the celebration of the Passover. He also presided over the building of the now famous Siloam Tunnel which allowed water from the Pool of Siloam to be carried into the city of Jerusalem which was especially important when the city was under attack. Part of this construction is still visible in the Old City of Jerusalem today. The Bible says that Hezekiah "did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did...He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses." Hezekiah was a good king who ruled his kingdom well. However, one day Hezekiah received some bad news. 1. Notice the bad news Hezekiah received. If we flip back to Second Kings 18, we find that the King of Assyria was on a war campaign in the middle east. He had fought against and conquered many other small nations, and now he had turned his attention to Judah. While he was engaged in warfare in the south of Judah, he sent "a great host" under the command of three of his leaders -- "Tartan", the commander in chief; "Rab-sa-ris", the chief eunuch; and "Rab-sha-keh", the chief cupbearer. These leaders and their army laid seige to the city of Jerusalem. 2. Secondly, notice Hezekiah's reaction to the bad news. We have seen already that Hezekiah tore his clothes and covered himself in sackcloth. But the Bible tells us that Hezekiah did two other things. First, he "went into the house of the Lord." The second thing Hezekiah does is he requests the prayers of the prophet Isaiah. 3. Thirdly, notice God's answer to the bad news. After Hezekiah's officials share the problem with Isaiah, Isaiah says, "Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."
PLAY	Pray and See Like You've Never Seen Before	February 6, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #24 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 2 Kings 6:8-23 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 23 messages in this series. This is message #24 titled "Pray and See Like You've Never Seen Before" Last week, we looked at an example of prayer in the life of the prophet Elijah. Today, we are going to look at an example of prayer in the life of Elijah's protege -- Elisha. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, Elisha was likely in his twenties when he was called to follow Elijah and he likely came from a well-to-do land-owning family. When he accepted God's call into ministry, he dramatically severed his ties with his old life by slaughtering the pair of oxen he was plowing with, cooking the meat, and serving it to his friends and family. For the next four years, we do not know much else about Elisha, but we know that he was under the tutelage of Elijah. Just before Elijah is taken up into heaven, Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah's spirit to rest on him. This request is granted and Elisha succeeds Elijah in the prophetic office. In our passage today, we also see that Elisha, like Elijah, was a man of great prayer. Through prayer, Elisha was able to see the spiritual reality of the situations that he faced. He did not just see people and situations with human eyesight. He saw them with spiritual eyesight. And just as God revealed spiritual realities to Elisha hundreds of years ago, he can and will do the same for us if we go to him in prayer and allow Him to open our spiritual eyes. Today, I want to show you three things that God can do for you if your spiritual eyes are open.
PLAY	How to Get God to Reverse a Bad Situation	January 30, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #23 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 1 Kings 17:17-24 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 22 messages in this series. This is message #23 titled "Elijah's Earnest Prayer." In this passage, we find the prophet Elijah during the time when he was staying with the widow of Zarephath. As you might recall, Elijah arrived at Zarephath one day, and he met the widow in the field gathering sticks. The widow told Elijah that she was gathering sticks to make a fire to cook her last little bit of flour and oil for her and her son and after that they were going to die. But Elijah told her to cook something for him first, and that if she did, the Lord would bless her and she would never run out of flour and oil. So, the widow believed God and fixed a meal for the prophet. God was true to His word, and he miraculously supplied food for the woman and her son from that day on. The widow and her son were well taken care of. She was blessed by God because she trusted Him and obeyed Him in taking care of the prophet Elijah first. In a time of famine in Israel, she, her son, and the prophet had enough to eat. But those good days were soon overshadowed by a great tragedy. Notice with me... 1. The widow's calamity. Verse 17 of our passage states: "And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him." 2. Notice with me, the prophet's prayer. Verse 19 reads, "And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the Lord..." 3. Now, notice with me the Lord's answer. Verse 22 tells us, "And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." There is a lot of power in that simple phrase -- "the Lord heard the voice of Elijah." It is very powerful because the awesome God of the universe who set the earth in motion, the God who flung the stars against the canopy of blackness, the God who keeps the planets orbiting the sun, the God who looks after billions of people each and every day, stopped to listen to Elijah's voice when Elijah prayed. And each and every one of us today can take comfort in the knowledge that God listens to our voices when we pray as well.
PLAY	Lessons from Living in a Strange Land: The Life of Joseph (Part 1)	January 30, 2013
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #19 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Genesis 39:1-6 Today, we are continuing our series on How to Handle Persecution. For the next few messages, we are going to be looking at the life of Joseph and the lessons we can learn from his example as he lived among the Egyptians. Now, by way of providing some background for this series -- Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, and the first son of Jacob's wife Rachel. Rachel was Jacob's favorite wife, so Joseph held a very special place in Jacob's heart. Joseph's brothers did not like Joseph because of their father's favoritism towards him. One day, when Joseph was sent to check on his brothers who were out taking care of the sheep, they devised a plan to kill him. However, Reuben, the oldest of the brothers, convinced his brothers to throw Jospeh into a well. But when Reuben was not around, the other brothers took Joseph and sold him to a band of Ishmaelite traders who were on their way to Egypt. Once they got to Egypt, the Ishmaelites sold Joseph into slavery to Potiphar. Potiphar was the captain of Pharaoh's palace guard. So, here we have Joseph, betrayed by his own brothers, and sold into slavery in a foreign land. The Encyclopedia of Judaism tells us that Joseph was seventeen years old when this happened. Joseph was in a strange country that had a different language, a different culture, and a pagan religion. But Joseph's story can be of encouragement and help to us today. None of us are likely under such extreme circumstances as he was -- being taken away from your family and your home, and sold into slavery in a strange land. However, some of us may find ourselves in hostile situations in our lives. For example, you may be the only Christian in your family. Or you may be in a job situation that is not friendly to your beliefs. Or, you may be attending a college where faith is routinely ridiculed and made fun of. Or, you may be a Christian living in a Muslim country where followers of Christ are harassed and thrown in jail. If you are in these or similar situations, then you can learn something from the story of Joseph. What can you learn from Joseph's story? 1. Understand that the Lord is with you. 2. Abide in peace with those around you. 3. No matter what happens, remain faithful and obedient to God.
PLAY	How to be Genuinely Victorious Over the World	January 30, 2013
PLAY	Onward Christian Soldiers #18 \| with Daniel Whyte III The Bible says in 1 John 2:15: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." From the very moment you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have been on the narrow road that leads to Heaven. Along the way, you and I will meet other Christians who are also on the road to Heaven. It is wonderful to be a child of God, but we must realize that the road to Heaven will not be easy. Why? Because we have great enemies. The Bible tells us about three great enemies of the Christian: the world, the flesh, and the devil. What do these enemies do? These enemies try to get us to sin and they try to draw us away from God. But God has made a way for us to have victory over them. Today, we will look at how we can be victorious over our enemy, the world. The Bible uses the word "world" in several different ways. Sometimes it refers to this earth which God created. Sometimes it refers to the people in the world, as in John 3:16, where the Bible says, "For God so loved the world. . ." However, a third meaning is found in 1 John 2:15 where the Bible says, "Love not the world. . ." What is the meaning of "the world" here? The meaning of the Greek word for world used in this context means: "world affairs; the whole circle of earthly goods, riches, advantages, and pleasures which, although hollow, frail and fleeting, stir our desire, seduce us away from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ." The "world" means the attractive things of the world which Satan uses to draw us away from God. How can we be victorious over the world? 1. The first way we can be victorious over the world is to love God with all our heart. 2. The second way we can be victorious over the world is to avoid sinful attractions. 3. The third way we can be victorious over the world is to realize that only Christ can truly satisfy our hearts.
PLAY	An Urgent Prayer Request or When God Has to Get Your Attention	January 24, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #22 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 1 Kings 13:1-6 Have you ever tried to ignore God? Have you ever tried to shut His voice out of your life? Have you ever been doing something that you wanted to do, that you knew was wrong, and you just didn't want to continue hearing God telling you to stop? If you have ever tried to do that, then you have probably found out already that that is a very futile endeavour. C.S. Lewis said, "We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade God." In our passage today, we have a man named King Jeroboam who tried to ignore God. After the death of King Solomon, ten tribes rebelled against the House of David and set up Jeroboam as their king. Jeroboam ruled the northern kingdom of Israel for 22 years. The Bible tells us that Jeroboam turned away from God very soon after he became king. He built two places of worship, one in the northern part of the kingdom and another in the southern part of the kingdom. He set up two golden calves and two altars in these places and ordered the Israelites to worship at these places and stop going to Jerusalem. If we turn a couple chapters back, we will find that before Jeroboam was crowned king, God sent the prophet Ahijah to him and gave him this message: "If thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, then I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house..." However, just two chapters later we find that Jeroboam has decided that he is not going to listen to God. And we find him in one of his places of worship getting ready to burn incense to a golden calf. So, since Jeroboam is not listening to God, God has to take some steps to get his attention. 1. Notice the prophet. Verse one of our passage states: "And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord..." The first thing God does to try to get Jeroboam's attention is he sends a man of God to him. 2. Notice the paralysis. Jeroboam stretched forth his hand and commanded that the prophet be arrested, but verse 4 tells us that "his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar..." This condition of a hand (or other body part) "drying up" is that which we call "paralysis" today. 3. Notice the plea. Look at verse 6 of our passage: "And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before."
PLAY	What to Do When You Are Falsely Accused (Part 2)	January 19, 2013
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #18 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Psalm 7 Psalm 7 is David's psalm of deliverance from those who falsely accuse him. In this psalm, David states that the charges of his accuser are not true and defends his own innocence. We are studying this psalm to learn how to handle false accusations. Last week, we saw that... 1. David relies on God. 2. David faces the charges of his accuser. 3. David requests God's vindication. Today, I want us to look at three more things we should do when we are falsely accused. 1. Realize that God is the ultimate judge. 2. Realize that God will bring an end to the actions of wicked people. 3. Realize that God will establish those who are faithful to Him.
PLAY	Pray and Obey!	January 16, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #21 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 1 Kings 9:1-9 Everyone likes to receive blessings from God in answer to our prayers. We like to receive blessings with no strings attached. However, as we will see in our passage today, there are some conditions that we as humans must meet if God is going to bless us; and there are also consequences that will be suffered if we do not meet those conditions. The passage which we have read today tells us of the time after King Solomon had fulfilled his father's wishes and had built the glorious Temple in Jerusalem. As you might recall, if you have listened to previous messages in this series, Solomon held a great celebration and invited all of Israel to come together to mark the completion of the Temple and to dedicate it to God. On that occasion, he offered a long prayer to God expressing his desire for God to accept the Temple as his own "house" where his presence would reside with the children of Israel. Solomon also requested that God would hear and answer the prayers of the children of Israel that were directed towards the Temple. Today, we will see how God answers Solomon's prayer.
PLAY	How to Get Winning Instructions from God	January 10, 2013
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #20 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 2 Samuel 5:17-25 We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 19 messages in this series. This is message #20 titled "How to Get Winning Instructions from God". Our passage for today describes an important time during the history of the nation of Israel. King Saul had been killed in battle and David had just taken his God-ordained place as the new king of Israel. God had removed his blessings from the disobedient leadership of Saul, and now that David was in place as King, the country could move forward with a leader who truly had a heart after God. Brighter days were ahead for the nation of Israel. However, whenever God's people are moving forward in a positive direction, there will always be opposition. Someone once said that if there is no opposition to God's work, one has to wonder whether or not God's work is truly being done. And so, here in this passage, we see that before David can get settled in as king of Israel, he receives word of opposition in the form of the Philistines. The Bible says that "when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David" and the "Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim" to prepare themselves for war. I want you to notice today, how David responded to this opposition.
PLAY	Believers are Obeyers	December 30, 2012
PLAY	Onward Christian Soldiers #17 \| with Daniel Whyte III 1 John 2:3-4 says, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." During our last time together we talked about how you can know that you are saved for sure. Well, one evidence that we are truly born again is that we have a new heart towards obeying God. Before we were saved, we did not love God or want to obey Him. Now that we are saved, we love Him and want to obey Him. A new Christian may not know much of God's Word and what God wants him to do, but he will want to obey God. Believers are obeyers! First John 2:3-4 says that we show our love for the Lord Jesus by obeying Him. Jesus Christ also said in John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Today, let's consider three ways in which all believers, but especially new believers, can obey the Lord.
PLAY	What to Do When You Are Falsely Accused (Part 1)	December 30, 2012
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution, #17 TEXT: Psalm 7:1-6 Psalm 7 is David's psalm of deliverance from those who falsely accuse him. The superscription of this Psalm tells us that this is a "shiggaion -- that is an emotional lament -- of David which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite." From this title, we learn the occasion on which David was prompted to compose this psalm. Charles Haddon Spurgeon tells us in his "Treasury of David" commentary on the Psalms that "It appears probable that Cush the Benjamite had accused David of treasonable conspiracy against Saul's royal authority. This, the king would be ready enough to lend credit to, both from his jealousy of David, and from the relation which most probably existed between himself, the son of Kish, and this Cush, or Kish, the Benjamite. He who is near the throne can do more injury to a subject than an ordinary slanderer." In this psalm, David states that the charges of his accuser are not true and defends his own innocence. Sometimes, in our own lives, we will have to deal with false accusations. People may lie on you to make you look bad in front of the world, in front of an authority figure, or to make themselves look good. People may try to trip you up and cause you to stumble into sin. People may gossip and spread rumors about you. All of this in an attempt to ruin your Christian testimony. Well, today, I want us to look at this psalm and see how David handles people who falsely accuse him of wrongdoing.
PLAY	Great Expectations (Part 5)	December 26, 2012
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #18 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: I Kings 8:41-43 This is message #18 titled "Great Expectations" (Part 5). We are continuing our series on Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. We have seen how God fulfilled His promise to David and allowed his son, Solomon, to build the Temple for the glory of God. After the Temple was built, Solomon called together all of the children of Israel to celebrate the completion of the Temple and that is the occasion on which Solomon offers his prayer. Today, we will continue reading Solomon's prayer and look at three more elements that we can draw from it and apply to our own prayer life. 1. Notice how Solomon prays for those who are not a part of the nation of Israel. 2. Notice how Solomon is concerned about God's glory. 3. Notice how Solomon's purpose in praying is for all people to be obedient to God.
PLAY	Jesus Christ Speaks to the Persecuted Church	December 23, 2012
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #16
PLAY	Great Expectations (Part 4)	December 19, 2012
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #16 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: I Kings 8:37-40 This is message #17 titled "Great Expectations" (Part 4). We are continuing our series on Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. We have seen how God fulfilled His promise to David and allowed his son, Solomon, to build the Temple for the glory of God. After the Temple was built, Solomon called together all of the children of Israel to celebrate the completion of the Temple and that is the occasion on which Solomon offers his prayer. Today, we will continue reading Solomon's prayer and look at four more elements that we can draw from it and apply to our own prayer life. 1. Solomon sees the need to pray to God in times when the nation is undergoing judgment. 2. Notice that God hears the prayers of his people and He is willing to forgive. 3. Notice that God knows the heart condition of every man. 4. Notice that when God restores us, we should not forget the lessons we learned while we were being punished.
PLAY	Great Expectations (Part 3)	December 12, 2012
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #16 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: I Kings 8:30-36 This is message #16 titled "Great Expectations" (Part 3). We are continuing our discussion of Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. We have already seen how God fulfilled His promise to David and allowed his son, Solomon, to build the Temple for the glory of God. Today, we will continue reading Solomon's prayer and look at three more lessons that we can draw from it and apply to our own prayer life. From verses 30-36, I want us to notice three things. 1. Solomon acknowledges human frailty. 2. Solomon asks for deliverance from enemies. 3. Solomon asks God to teach his people how to walk righteously.
PLAY	Great Expectations (Part 2)	December 6, 2012
PLAY	Praying Through the Bible #15 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: I Kings 8:22-29 This is message #15 titled "Great Expectations" (Part 2). We are looking at Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. We have already seen how God fulfilled His promise to David and allowed his son, Solomon, to build the Temple for the glory of God. Today, we will begin reading Solomon's prayer and seeing what lessons we can draw from it and apply to our own prayer life. I want us to notice three things. 1. Notice how Solomon praises God for His greatness. 2. Notice how Solomon remembers God's fulfilled promises. 3. Notice how Solomon requests God's favor.
PLAY	Great Expectations (Part 1)	November 29, 2012
PLAY	Prayer in the Bible #14 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: I Kings 8:22-24 In our last message in this series, we covered the topic of how David was still before God in the Tabernacle. As you might remember, the context of that message was David's desire to build a Temple for God's presence to reside in. However, God informed David through Nathan the prophet that while his intentions were good, he would not be allowed to build the Temple. But his son, who would be king after him, would build the Temple. Well, the context of our passage today is the fulfillment of God's words to David. Here, in this passage, we have King Solomon who has completed building the Temple in Jerusalem. On this great occasion, the children of Israel are gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the completion of the building of the Temple. Verse one of chapter eight tells us that "Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month." The Levite priests carried the Ark of the Covenant out of the tabernacle and into the newly built Temple. When they had set up the Ark in the Temple, the Bible tells us that a great cloud filled the Temple signifying God's approval of what Solomon had done. Today, I want us to begin looking at Solomon's prayer on this occasion and the lessons we can learn from it. Because this is such a long prayer, Lord willing, we will continue to study I Kings chapter eight in upcoming messages. Today, we are covering the first 22 verses so that we can get an understanding of the background of Solomon's prayer. I have titled this series of messages "Great Expectations" because Solomon prays a great prayer to God, and he expects God to do great things for the nation of Israel.
PLAY	The Thanksgiving Mandate (Part 3)	November 24, 2012
PLAY	TEXT: 1 Chronicles 16:7-13 Today, I want us to move on to verses 11 and 12 of this passage and see the final three aspects of this "thanksgiving mandate" that are given in this passage of Scripture. 1. God wants us to get to know Him better. 2. God wants us to desire for His presence to be in our lives. 3. God wants us to remember everything that He has done. + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "My Tribute" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Count Your Blessings"
PLAY	The Thanksgiving Mandate (Part 2)	November 23, 2012
PLAY	TEXT: 1 Chronicles 16:7-13 I believe it is good for us to set aside one special day out of the year just to focus on thanking and praising God for all that He has done for us. However, that one day should serve to remind us that we need to give thanks everyday of our lives. On yesterday, we began looking at I Chronicles 16 and what I am calling the "thanksgiving mandate" that is given in God's Word. We looked at verse 8 of this passage and saw three things that God wants us to do in this matter of being thankful. 1. God wants us to be thankful for His blessings. 2. While we are remembering and being thankful for what God has done for us, God wants us to remain in communication with Him. 3. God wants us to tell others about His goodness. As I mentioned on yesterday, this passage is actually a part of a psalm that was written by King David on the occasion of the Israelites bringing the ark of God into Jerusalem. The Bible tells us that David's purpose in writing this psalm was to "thank the Lord", and that he gave this psalm to Asaph. Asaph was a Levite, and he was one of the leaders of David's choir who also wrote twelve psalms himself that we know of. So, David probably gave this psalm to Asaph to teach it to the Levite choir so they all could sing it together. Today, I want us to move on to verses 9 and 10 of this passage and see what else is involved in this "thanksgiving mandate". + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "My Tribute" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Count Your Blessings"
PLAY	The Thanksgiving Mandate (Part 1)	November 22, 2012
PLAY	1 Chronicles 16:8: "Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people." Out of all of the holidays that we are blessed to celebrate, Thanksgiving is my favorite. I love this time of year. I love the weather. I love the time we get to spend with family and friends. I love the food. I love looking back over the past year to see where God has brought us from. I believe that God gives us these times away from our daily routine to refocus our attention on what is truly important. The Israelites observed certain feasts, celebrations, and holy days every year. These days were observed so that the children of Israel would remember what God had done for them in the past. The verse that we are looking at today is I Chronicles 16:8. This verse is a part of a psalm given by David on one of these important days in the history of Israel -- the day that he brought the Tabernacle of God up to Jerusalem. The people of Israel were celebrating and rejoicing because of this great event. From this verse, I want us to notice three things that I believe God wants us to do not only on this Thanksgiving, but on every day of our lives. + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "My Tribute" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Count Your Blessings"
PLAY	The Power of Being Still Before God	November 18, 2012
PLAY	Prayer in the Bible #13 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Isaiah 53 In our culture today, it seems as though one of the hardest things for us to do is to slow down and be still for any length of time. From the time we get out of bed in the morning to the time we turn in at night, we are always busy and always on the go. Many of us rush from one destination to another, running errands, fulfilling job duties, catching up with friends, and handling family issues. Even during "down time" when we should be relaxing, our fingers fly over handheld devices. While we are sitting in the recliner or laying in bed, we are surfing the web, checking e-mail, video chatting, and collaborating with co-workers on job projects. We find it nearly impossible to just be still. In our passage for today, I want us to notice how King David goes into the Tabernacle and takes the time to "sit before the Lord." Just to give you the background of this occasion: earlier in II Samuel 7, the Bible tells us that David is sitting in his newly built palace talking to Nathan the prophet. While they are talking, David says, "See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains." He then expresses his desire to build a Temple for the Ark of God to reside in. Nathan understandably encourages him to do this. However, later, God speaks to Nathan and tells him that He will allow David's son to build the Temple and not David. However, God tells Nathan what we now call the "Davidic covenant" in which He promises that the House of David would be established forever as the ruling house of Israel. After Nathan brings him this message from God, King David is overwhelmed by the grace and mercy that God has shown to him, and he goes to the Tabernacle and the Bible tells us that he "sat before the Lord." Today, I want us to consider the fact that there are times when we need to leave our normal duties and get alone with God. We, too, need to sit before the Lord.
PLAY	How to be a Powerful Person of Prayer	November 15, 2012
PLAY	Prayer in the Bible #12 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: I Samuel 12:16-25 Today, as we continue our series on Prayer in the Bible, I want us to look at the life of one of the most powerful prayer warriors in history. His name is Samuel, and he was a great prayer partner to the children of Israel because he really knew how to get ahold of God. He was also a prophet and the last of the judges of the children of Israel. You might recall that his birth came about because of the earnest prayers of his mother Hannah who was barren and desperately wanted a child. Samuel grew up in the Tabernacle as a servant of God, and that is where he began his great and powerful prayer life. 1. In Order to Become a Powerful Person of Prayer, You Must Listen to the Voice of God. 2. In Order to Become a Powerful Person of Prayer, You Must Be Willing to Pray for Others. 3. In Order to Become a Powerful Person of Prayer, You Must Understand that Prayerlessness Is a Sin.
PLAY	10 Things God Wants You to Do in the Last Days (Part 2)	November 6, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #100 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:1-5 Today, by the grace of God, I want to continue with part two of the message that we began on yesterday titled "10 Things God Wants You to Do in the Last Days." This is the last message in this series of 100 days of preaching the gospel. I am grateful to God for the time that we have spent in His Word together over the past 100 days. I hope that you have enjoyed it and that you have been blessed and encouraged by it. The two passages which we read in I Timothy and II Timothy are a warning message from the Apostle Paul to the young minister Timothy who was leading the church at Ephesus. In 1 Timothy 4, Paul mostly focuses on religous apostasy. In other words, in the last days, false teachers peddling dangerous doctrine would creep into the church and the people of God will be deceived if they are not on guard against it. In 2 Timothy, Paul talks about the moral and social decay that will come about in the "last days." Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson write that in this context, the term 'last days' refers to the "end of the church age" -- and thus a time period that is close to the Rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ. John F. Walvoord states, "Apostasy, of course, was already present in the time that Paul lived, but with the progress of the present age, in spite of the dissemination of the truth and the availability of Scripture, the world will continue to follow the sinful description which the Apostle Paul gave here." As I mentioned to you on yesterday, I believe that we are indeed living in the last days. We are drawing ever closer to the Rapture of the church and the return of Christ. And during these days, there are some things that God wants us to do while we wait for His coming. On yesterday, we discussed five of those things, which are as follows: 1. God wants you to be saved, if you are not saved already. 2. God wants us to confess our sins when we commit them. 3. God wants us as His children to pray. 4. God wants us to live a holy life before Him. 5. God wants us to read and meditate on the Bible daily. These are five basic, fundamental things that God wants us to do based on His word. Today, by the grace of God, I want to share with you five more things that God wants us to do in the last days. 1. God wants us to faithfully attend and participate in a local Bible believing church. 2. God wants us to tithe and give to Him through our local church. 3. In light of the second coming of the Lord, God wants us to love one another. 4. God wants us to witness to those who are not saved. 5. God wants us to put on the whole armour of God. + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "My Tribute (To God be the Glory)" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	10 Things God Wants You to Do in the Last Days (Part 1)	November 4, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #99 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Matthew 24:1-14, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:1-5 Today, ladies and gentlemen, we are living in perilous, dangerous, wicked, bitter, and hard times. We are living in the last days. I tell folks all the time that we are living in days that only God can help us now. The Lord made it perfectly clear that "last days" would come. The Lord never told a lie. In fact, the Bible says that "God cannot lie", meaning it is impossible for Him to lie. I believe according to the Word of God, that those "last days" are here. Make no mistake about it, something is about to happen in this old sin-cursed world and that is, the Second Coming of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. However, even though we are living in these difficult times, God wants us to stand strong even if we have to stand alone. So today I want to share with you ten things that will help you to stand strong in light of these last days and in light of the second coming of Jesus Christ. 1. God wants you to be saved. 2. God wants us to confess our sins when we commit them. 3. God wants us, as His children, to pray. 4. God wants us to live a holy life before Him. 5. God wants us to read and meditate on the Bible daily. + Plus, listen to Al Green and Heather Headley singing "People Get Ready" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	When God Makes All Things New	November 3, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #98 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 21:1-8: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." The Bible tells us that one day this old earth will be done away with. It will be destroyed and a "new heaven and a new earth" will be created in its place. In his letter to first century believers, Peter states that "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." A few verses later, he reiterates his point by saying, "the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." The passage we just read from Revelation 21 describes this new heaven and new earth which will come at the end of time. Dr. John MacArthur states that "in the consummation of all things, God will renovate the heavens and the earth, merging His heaven with a new universe for a perfect dwelling-place that will be our home forever. In other words, heaven, the realm where God dwells, will expand to encompass the entire universe of creation, which will be fashioned into a perfect and glorious domain fit for the glory of heaven." The Bible tells us that this new heaven and new earth will be so awesome, and so wonderful, that we will not even remember the old heaven and earth. Speaking through the Prophet Isaiah, God said, "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." Today, I want to briefly share with you three ways in which God will make all things new in this new heaven and new earth. 1. First of all, God will make us new spiritually and morally. 2. Secondly, God will make us physically new. 3. Thirdly, and finally today, God will make a new creation. + Plus, listen to Steven Curtis Chapman singing "All Things New" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Great White Throne Judgment of God	November 2, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #97 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 20:4-10: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Our passage of scripture today tells us about the event which immediately follows the end of the Millennial Kingdom. At the end of the Millennium, Satan and his army of rebels are defeated by fire that comes from God out of Heaven. John quickly takes us to the next event in the grand end times drama, and that is the Great White Throne Judgment which read about in Revelation 20:11-15. Tim LaHaye and Tony Kessinger write that this passage "is the most sobering passage in the Bible. Here unbelievers can see a glimpse of what their ultimate encounter with God will be like. These verses describe the end of the 1000-year millennial reign of Christ upon the earth." The Great White Throne is only seen in this passage. It is unique from the other thrones mentioned in the book of Revelation -- no other throne is called "great" and "white" This throne is called "great" for three reasons: 1) the One who occupies the throne, 2) its enormous size, and 3) the significance of the judgment that will issue from the throne. This throne is called "white" because of the purity of the One seated on the throne and because of the fairness and righteousness of the verdict that will issue from the throne. Very briefly, tonight, I want us to ask and answer four important questions about the Great White Throne Judgment. 1. Who is the Judge? 2. Who Will be Judged? 3. How Will They be Judged? 4. What Will the Sentence Be? + Plus, listen to Ruben Studdard singing "Amazing Grace" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The 1,000 Year Reign and Kingdom of Jesus Christ	November 1, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #96 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 20:4-10: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years..." On yesterday, we saw in the Word of God the final event which must take place before the millennial kingdom can be brought about -- the imprisonment of Satan. With the antichrist, the false prophet, and Satan gone from the earth; and with Jesus Christ and his army of saints and angels present on the earth, the one-thousand year reign of Jesus Christ can begin. This time period is called the Millennial Kingdom. According to the Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy, "the word millennium comes from the Latin word 'mille' meaning 'one thousand' and 'annum' meaning year. This word appears 6 times in Revelation 20 defining the duration of Christ's kingdom before the destruction of the old heaven and the old earth. The millennium therefore refers to one thousand years of Christ's future reign on earth, which will immediately precede eternity." This time period is also called the messianic kingdom because it is the fulfillment of the promise that God gave to David in the Old Testament -- that there would always be one of David's descendants sitting on the throne of Israel. There are so many aspects of this wonderful time that we could get into today, but I want us to briefly hit the highlights of this passage. 1. The first thing I want us to look at today is the Resurrection of the Saints. 2. Secondly, today, I want us to look at the Reign of the Savior. 3. Thirdly, today, I want us to look at the Return and Rebellion of Satan. + Plus, listen to Newsboys singing "The King is Coming" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Satan Goes to Prison or 'How Peace Will Come to Earth'	October 31, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #95 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 20:1-3: "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season." Yesterday, we saw in Revelation chapter 19 the glorious return of Jesus Christ to the earth. He ends the Battle of Armageddon with the powerful "Sword" -- the Word -- that comes out of His mouth. This event marks the end of the Tribulation and the very beginning of the one-thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on earth. Notice what John MacArthur said about this momentous event: "From the remotest point of antiquity, men have longed for and talked about a golden age, a utopia, an age of peace and justice and righteousness, a time when oppression and war will cease. Poets have written about it. Folk singers still sing about it. Politicians promise it. Prophets predict it. Most people cry for it. And no one brings it. There is, however, such a world coming. And it will be brought at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be a kingdom the likes of which men have never even dreamed, though they have dreamed much. It will be a utopia beyond all utopia and understanding and comprehension. It will be a true age of blessedness." It will be the fulfillment of the words of the angelic choir which sang at the birth of Jesus Christ -- "Peace on Earth!" However, there is one more thing that must be done before the thousand years of peace can begin. You might have noticed in our passage on yesterday that the beast and the false prophet were taken and cast into the lake of fire. However, there is no mention of what happens to Satan -- the mastermind behind the great rebellion against God during the end times. If Satan is still running loose, how can there truly be peace on earth? Well, today, I want us to look at the first three verses of Revelation 20 and see the destiny of Satan -- and how God brings about true peace on earth. 1. First of all, notice The Arrival of Heavenly Authority. 2. Secondly, notice the Abolishment of Satanic Power and Influence. 3. Thirdly, notice the Annihilation of Demonic Deception. + Plus, listen to Newsboys singing "Blessed be Your Name" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	How to Pray for a Nation in Times of National Disaster	October 31, 2012
PLAY	How to Pray for a Nation (Part 8) TEXT -- Daniel 9:9-19 Today, by the grace of God, I want to continue our series titled "How to Pray for a Nation" based on Daniel's prayer for his people found in Daniel chapter 9. This message, I believe, is particularly pertinent considering recent events, such as the superstorm Sandy which has just devastated the northeast, and which I believe is a judgment of God on this nation because of its sins. It is not strange for God to judge a nation because of its sins. As we have been learning from Daniel chapter 9, even though He gave them a long time to repent, God eventually judged the children of Israel by allowing them to be carried off into captivity to Assyria and Babylon -- a true national disaster. And so in light of these events, I want us to look at the biblical perspective that we should take in times of natural and national disaster. 1. First of all, we need to understand that God is in control of every disaster. 2. Secondly, we need to realize that every disaster brings a mixture of God's mercy and judgment. 3. Thirdly, we must realize that disasters are warnings that call us to repentance.
PLAY	The Return of the King of Kings	October 30, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #94 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 19:11-21: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords...." On yesterday, from the Word of God, we saw a glimpse of Heaven and the glorious future that awaits the redeemed people of God from all ages. We saw the wonderful event called the marriage of the Lamb -- the consummation of Christ's union with His body, the church. Today, in the Word of God, the scene shifts back to earth, and we read about the equally wonderful event which follows the marriage of the Lamb, and that is the second coming of Jesus Christ. Remember, this is not the rapture. That happens at the beginning of the tribulation. What we are talking about today happens at the end of the tribulation after all of the judgments of God have been poured out on the earth. At the rapture, Jesus comes to claim His bride, but at the Second Coming, He will condemn all blasphemers and unbelievers. At the rapture, He comes 'in the air', but at the Second Coming, He actually descends to the earth. At the rapture, the saints go up to be with Christ, at the Second Coming the saints return to earth with Christ. Someone once said: "Biblical prophecy provides some of the greatest encouragement and hope available to us today. Just as the Old Testament is saturated with prophecies concerning Christ's first advent, so both testaments are filled with references to the second coming of Christ. One scholar has estimated that there are 1,845 references to Christ's second coming in the Old Testament, where 17 books give it prominence. In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to the second advent of Christ - an amazing 1 out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. For every prophecy in the Bible concerning Christ's first advent, there are 8 which look forward to His second!" Yes, Jesus Christ is coming back to earth one day, and that day will be at the end of the Tribulation. Let us look at three important aspects of Jesus' return. 1. Jesus Christ will return visibly. 2. Jesus will return in vengeance. 3. Jesus will return victoriously. + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "Soon and Very Soon" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	A Marriage Made in Heaven for Real	October 29, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #93 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 19:1-10: "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." So far in this series on the second coming of Jesus Christ and the end times, I believe it would be safe to say that we have seen very little happy moments. The end times are not "good times" for the world. We have seen judgment after judgment, destruction, devastation, and the unfortunate defiance of man against God. In the past two messages, we saw how Satan and the antichrist gathered all the armies of the world to Armageddon to fight against the return of Jesus Christ. Of course, they will fail in this attempt. Not only will they be utterly defeated, but we saw yesterday how the entire satanic world system -- religious and political Babylon -- will be utterly destroyed under the judgment of the seventh vial -- the last of God's judgments on the earth. Today, we come to a truly happy moment in John's prophecy. This moment takes place in Heaven just before Jesus Christ and his saints descend to earth to set up the Millennial Kingdom. This event is called the "marriage supper of the Lamb" or the "marriage of the Lamb". Let's look at three significant aspects of this wonderful event. 1. First of all, this marriage is preceded by a celebration. 2. Secondly, this marriage is perfected by a consummation. 3. Thirdly, and finally, this marriage is populated only by Christians. + Plus, listen to The Jackson Southernaires singing "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Armageddon: The Final World War (Part 2)	October 28, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #92 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 16:17-21: "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. Today, we return to the scene at Armageddon. The vast armies of the antichrist and all the nations of the world are assembled in Israel for the purpose of preventing Jesus Christ's return to this earth. Jesus is on the threshold of Heaven, ready to descend with his army to defeat forever the rebellious forces of the devil and the antichrist. But first, the final vial needs to be poured out, and judgment will be complete. The passage we just read tells us of the pouring out of this seventh vial. This vial produces what the Bible calls "a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great". This earthquake is so awful that the "great city" -- that is Jerusalem -- is divided in three parts, the "cities of the nations" crumble, every island "flees away", and the mountains are flattened. This vial also produces great hail which rains down on the earth. Tim LaHaye tells us that this hail weighs about 100 pounds, and as the huge hail stones pummel the earth, man does what he has so often done during this time -- "blaspheme God." This last judgment also establishes another parenthetical narrative, which we will focus on in this message. Verse 19 of our passage states that "great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath." This judgment of Babylon is found in Revelation chapters 17 and 18. Dr. Grant Richison of Campus Crusade for Christ writes that, "Chapter 17 is the religious fall of Babylon and chapter 18 is the political fall of Babylon. First, we come to the destruction of religious Babylon. Babylon is the fountain of ecumenical religion that is the antithesis of true Christianity. Chapter 17 deals with the fall of worldwide ecumenical religion, a super-church inclusive of all cults and religions. The beast uses ecumenical religion to rise to power and then overthrows it later to suit his convenience. Chapter 18 presents political Babylon. This is the judgment of international government, multinational organizations and financial institutions." In Revelation chapter 17, we see the destruction of the worldwide false religious system. In Revelation chapter 18, we see the destruction of the worldwide government system. With the fall of these two satanic systems, the world crumbles at the feet of Jesus Christ. For the sake of time, we will not read all of Revelation chapters 17 and 18 today. Actually, we could preach a whole series of messages on just these two chapters alone. Right now, I want us to notice very briefly three things about the destruction of these two world systems as the final moments of history draw to a close. 1. First of all, notice the Enticement of the great whore. 2. Secondly, notice the Evil world government. 3. Thirdly, and finally, notice the End of the world system. + Plus, listen to Kurt Carr singing "In the Sanctuary" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Armageddon: The Final World War	October 27, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #91 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 16:12-16: "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." On yesterday, we began looking at the final phase of judgment that will take place during the Tribulation -- the seven vial, or bowl, judgments. These are the most severe and complete of the judgments that we have seen. We covered the first five of these judgments, which are as follows: 1. The first vial judgment brings painful sores on all those who have pledged allegiance to the antichrist. 2. The second vial judgment turns all of the sea to blood and kills every living thing in the sea. 3. The third vial judgment turns all of the rivers and fresh water to blood making them undrinkable. 4. The fourth vial judgment causes scorching heat to come from the sun and burn mankind. 5. The fifth vial judgment strikes the kingdom of the antichrist with utter darkness. After the fifth vial judgment is poured out, the Bible tells us that those on earth who have pledged their allegiance to the antichrist still refuse to repent and turn to God. Instead they "blaspheme God in their hearts". Today, we will look at the sixth vial as it is poured out. This vial represents the culmination of all of the disobedience and defiance of mankind upon the earth. Verse 12 of our passage states, "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." The Euphrates River was the eastern limit of the old Roman Empire and it has long served as a natural boundary between East and West for centuries. Now, it is dried up to prepare the way for the great Eastern Kings -- some say these will be the armies of China, India, and Japan -- who will march against the Holy Land to gather in the valley of Armageddon. Armageddon is the site of the final battle between the forces of good and evil, God and Satan. According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, "Revelation promises that in the face of the defeat of God's saints by military forces from the east, south, and the north, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to defeat His enemies and deliver His people. The location of Armageddon shows us that the Middle East has historical importance in the last days. Armageddon, or the Mount of Megiddo, is located in the plain of Jezreel, a valley fourteen miles wide and twenty miles long. Many decisive battles have been fought there. And it is natural to think of it as the site of the last and greatest battle of all." ... Today, I want us to notice three things about the sixth vial which tells us of the armies that gather for the battle of Armageddon. 1. First of all, I want you to notice the influence of the devil. 2. Secondly, I want you to notice the words of the Lord. 3. Thirdly, I want you to notice the gathering of armies. + Plus, listen to Israel Houghton and Free Chapel singing singing "There's Something About that Name" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Wrath of God -- Round Three	October 26, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #90 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 16:1-11: "And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds." We are currently in the middle of a series of messages on the end times and the second coming of Christ. So far, we have covered the Rapture, when Christ takes all believers from the earth and brings them to Heaven to be with Him forever. We also looked at the coming of the antichrist who is empowered by Satan and who sets up his worldwide kingdom on earth. And then, we began looking at the tribulation -- a seven-year-long period of judgment wherein God punishes those who remain on the earth for their defiance and rejection of Him. We have covered the first two phases of the Tribulation -- the seven seal judgments and the seven trumpet judgments, which we wrapped up on yesterday. Today, we are going to begin looking at the final phase of judgment -- that is the seven vial judgments or the seven bowl judgments. These judgments are the most severe out of all the judgments poured out on earth. One of my points in sharing this message with you is to warn you that you don't want to be left behind for the wrath of God on this earth. You need to be saved today and I will show you how to do that in a few minutes. Right now, very briefly, let's look at the first five of these judgments: 1. The first vial judgment brings painful sores on all those who have pledged allegiance to the antichrist. 2. The second vial judgment turns all of the sea to blood and kills every living thing in the sea. 3. The third vial judgment turns all of the rivers and fresh water to blood making them undrinkable 4. The fourth vial judgment causes scorching heat to come from the sun and burn mankind. 5. The fifth vial judgment strikes the kingdom of the antichrist with utter darkness. + Plus, listen to Regina Belle singing "God is Good" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	A Glimpse of the Sovereign Reign of Jesus Christ	October 25, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #89 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 11:14-19 -- "The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." On yesterday, we continued looking at the seven trumpet judgments which take place after the seven seal judgments during the Tribulation period. The six trumpet judgments that we have covered are as follows: 1. The first trumpet judgment brought about hail, fire, and blood, which destroyed a third of all plant life. 2. The second trumpet judgment brought about a third part of the sea being turned into blood and the death of a third of all sea life. 3. The third trumpet judgment brought about the poisoning of a third of the fresh water supply and the death of many people. 4. The fourth trumpet judgment brought about the diminishing of light from the sun, the moon, and the stars. 5. The fifth trumpet judgment brought about the opening of the abyss and an army of locust-like demons being released to torment (but not kill) those who reject God. 6. The sixth trumpet judgment brought about the releasing of the four fallen angels bound in the River Euphrates and an army 200 million strong who go forth to slaughter a third of earth's remaining population. The Bible says three resounding "woes" started the fifth trumpet judgment. Verse 14 of our passage tells us that the "second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly." Let's look at what this seventh trumpet entails. 1. First of all, the seventh trumpet shows us the praise for the Sovereign King. 2. Secondly, the seventh trumpet shows us the plan for judgment and reward. 3. Thirdly, and finally today, the seventh trumpet shows us the promise of communion. + Plus, listen to Anthony Evans singing "Glory to the King" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	How to Pray for a Nation (Part 7)	October 24, 2012
PLAY	TEXT -- Daniel 9:9-19 Today, I want us to focus on how Daniel employed the power of remembrance in His prayer. The Christian German politician Richard von Weizsaecker said that "Seeking to forget makes exile all the longer; the secret of redemption lies in remembrance." 1. First of all, we as the church must remember past benefits. 2. Secondly, we must remember our own past strayings. 3. Thirdly, we must remember God's past deliverances.
PLAY	When All Hell Breaks Loose	October 24, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #88 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 9 On yesterday, we looked at the blowing of the first four trumpets, and saw how the earth suffers at the hands of an angry God. We saw that... 1. The first trumpet judgment brought about hail, fire, and blood, which destroyed a third of all plant life. 2. The second trumpet judgment brought about a third part of the sea being turned into blood and the death of a third of all sea life. 3. The third trumpet judgment brought about the poisoning of a third of the fresh water supply and the death of many people. 4. The fourth trumpet judgment brought about the diminishing of light from the sun, the moon, and the stars. You might recall that after the fourth trumpet judgment, the Bible tells us that John "heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!" The three resounding "woes" tell us that even more severe and relentless judgment is about to fall on mankind. Today, we will look at the fifth and sixth trumpet judgments which are revealed in Revelation chapter nine. 1. First of all I want you to notice that severe pain is unleashed on those who reject God. 2. Secondly, I want us to look at the destruction of earth's inhabitants. 3. Thirdly, and finally, I want us to see the sad lack of repentance of those who remain. + Plus, listen to Jeremy Camp singing "There Will Be a Day" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Earth in the Hands of an Angry God	October 23, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #87 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 8:6-13: "6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!" Yesterday, we looked at the opening of the seventh seal, and we saw the wonderful demonstration of what happens to the thousands upon thousands of prayers of the saints that have ascended from this earth and have been stored up in the throne room of God Almighty in Heaven. We also saw how that when the seventh seal was opened, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour. This is because the seventh seal introduces another set of extremely catastrophic judgments -- the seven Trumpet Judgments which we will begin looking at today. John MacArthur calls the four trumpet judgments that we will cover today the "divine destruction of earth's ecology." This is because these four judgments devastate the natural processes that we depend on for the earth to operate normally. Let's begin looking at these trumpet judgments. 1. The first trumpet judgment brings about hail, fire, and blood, which destroys a third of all plant life. 2. The second trumpet judgment brings about a third part of the sea being turned into blood and the death of a third of sea life. 3. The third trumpet judgment brings about the poisoning of a third of the fresh water supply and the death of many people. + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "The Blood Will Never Lose its Power" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Prayers of the Saints and the Wrath of God	October 22, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #86 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 8:1-5: "And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake." Today, as we continue our series on the second coming of Christ and the last days, we return to the Seal Judgments in Revelation chapter eight. As you might recall, we looked at the opening of six seals in Revelation chapter six and those seals showed us six events that would take place at the beginning of the tribulation period. Those six events are: (1) the coming of the antichrist, (2) the eruption of war and violence, (3) worldwide famine, (4) the death of a third of the world's population, (5) Christians killed for their faith, and (6) a global devastating earthquake. On yesterday, we saw the mercy of God in the midst of misery in Revelation chapter 7. Today, we are going to look at the opening of the seventh seal and the scene which follows in Heaven in Revelation chapter 8. 1. Let's Look at the Opening of the Seventh Seal. 2. Secondly, Let's See How God Preserves the Prayers of the Saints. 3. Let's Notice the Role of the Prayers of the Saints in the End Times. + Plus, listen to Israel and New Breed singing "Prayers of the Righteous" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Mercy in the Midst of Misery	October 21, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #85 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 7 As you know, we are in a series of messages on the end times. By the grace of God, we are marching through the book of Revelation and seeing what is in store for the world in what I believe is the very near future. We have looked at the Rapture of the church in which every believer is taken from the Earth and ushered into Heaven to be with the Lord. We have seen the rise of the antichrist and the coming of a Satanic world system and government. And, most recently, we have seen the devastating judgment of God on a world that has turned its back on Him through the opening of the six seals as related in Revelation chapter 6. Now, you might have been thinking that we were going to deal with the seventh seal today. But we are not. In Revelation chapter 7, we have what could be called an interlude or a break in the action. The scene shifts from the wrath of God being poured out on earth to the work that God is doing in Heaven. We will see that the work that God is doing is like a light in the darkness of the tribulation; it is a beacon in the shadows of Satanic supremacy; it is a lighthouse on the shores of a dark and stormy horizon. We see in Revelation chapter seven the awesome mercy, love, and grace of God in the midst of the wrath that is being poured out on the earth. Prophecy expert Tim Lahaye writes that "this chapter shows the supernatural efforts to which God will go during that time to bring a maximum number of souls to faith in Jesus Christ." 1. First of all, I want you to notice with me the selection of the servants. 2. Secondly, I want you to notice with me the salvation of sinners. 3. Thirdly, I want you to notice with me the suffering of the saints. + Plus, listen to Casting Crowns singing "Till the Whole World Hears" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Facing Fiery Trials (Part 2)	October 21, 2012
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #15 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 1 Peter 4:12-19 Ever since Jesus Christ left this earth, persecution, hardship, trials and tribulation have been a part of the Christian experience. Peter tells us as believers that we should expect "fiery trials". Last week, we began studying this passage so that we can gain a better understanding as to how to deal with the fiery trials that face us as followers of Jesus Christ. We saw that: 1. Peter reminds us that no Christian is exempt from persecution. 2. With our expectation of persecution comes the need for preparation. 3. We should not be surprised at the fierce and fiery trials that come our way. Today, I want us to look at three types of suffering from this passage, and see what the Bible tells us about each of them. The three types of suffering that we will look at are (1) suffering as a believer, (2) suffering as an evildoer, and (3) suffering from chastisement.
PLAY	The Benefits & Blessings of Being 'in Christ' (Part 1)	October 21, 2012
PLAY	Onward Christian Soldiers #13 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 1 John 3:1-21 -- "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." In our last lesson we saw the greatness and the glory of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. All of the blessings of God come to us because of relationship with Jesus Christ. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, God puts us IN CHRIST. We can be loved, accepted and blessed by God because we are IN CHRIST. The Bible says that God has "made us accepted in the Beloved (in Christ)." God does many other wonderful things for us when we are saved. Let us briefly look at three of those things. 1. BECAUSE WE ARE "IN CHRIST", GOD FORGIVES US OF ALL OUR SINS 2. BECAUSE WE ARE "IN CHRIST", GOD GIVES US EVERLASTING LIFE 3. BECAUSE WE ARE "IN CHRIST", GOD MAKES US HIS CHILD.
PLAY	Unlocking God's Blessings Through Prayer (Part 2)	October 21, 2012
PLAY	Prayer in the Bible #11 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: I Samuel 7:1-13 On last week, we began looking at this situation where the children of Israel are in need of a blessing from the Lord. As part of our series on prayer in the Bible, we are looking at how to unlock the blessings of God through prayer. Last week, we saw three steps that the prophet Samuel led the children of Israel to take to once again allow God's blessings on their lives and on their nation. Samuel told the children of Israel that -- - First, they had to turn to God with all their hearts. Half-hearted allegiance to God would not do. - Second, they had to put away all "strange gods" from among them. They could not place their trust in anything or anybody but the one, true God. - And third, they had to commit to serving God and God alone. Solid action had to follow their repentance. However, the Israelites are not out of the woods yet. As we see in our passage today, Samuel has called the children of Israel together in Mizpeh for a time of corporate confession and repentance. As a nation, the people of God cry out and confess their sins and demonstrate their repentance and willingness to turn back to God. As we saw in our first message, they are doing this because for twenty years, the Ark of God had been removed from its rightful place in the Tabernacle, and the children of Israel had not allowed God to take His rightful place in the center of their hearts and lives. While this time of confession, repentance, and getting right with God is going on, the Israelites get word that their enemies, the Philistines, have gathered together and are preparing to attack. "And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines." Whenever God's people gather to do what is right, they will always attract opposition. When you are praying, the devil will make it his business to try and stop you, thwart you, and hinder you. His goal is to get you to cease praying because he knows the benefits and blessings that you can receive through prayer. General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army said, "You must pray with all your might. This means fervent, effectual, untiring wrestling with God...This kind of prayer be sure the devil and the world will oppose." The enemies of the Israelites were stirred up in an effort to get the children of Israel to stop praying and to stop seeking God. However, I want you to notice three things about what happens next. 1. First of all, I want you to notice Persistent Prayer. 2. Secondly, I want you to notice the Divine Deliverance. 3. Thirdly, and finally, I want you to notice the Righteous Remembrance of Samuel and the children of Israel.
PLAY	The Coming Wrath of God (Part 2)	October 20, 2012
PLAY	The Scriptures give more space to describing the coming Tribulation period than to any other prophetic event. The Hebrew prophets mention it 39 times, calling it a "time of Jacob's trouble", "tribulation", and many other titles denoting distress. The New Testament calls it "the day of the Lord", "the wrath of God", and the "wrath of the Lamb." Revelation chapters 6 through 19 describe the events of that Tribulation period, the best description of this terrifying, close-at-hand time that will try the whole world.
PLAY	The Coming Wrath of God (Part 1)	October 19, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #83 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Revelation 6: "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (verse 15-17) Today, we are going to continue looking at the end times and what will happen on Earth after Jesus Christ raptures away the true believers. On yesterday, we saw how the days that follow the Rapture will be the darkest and most devastating days that mankind will ever see. Not only will the antichrist reign supreme and force his will on the world, but God will pour out judgment on the earth which will willingly reject the truth and embrace the lies of Satan. This period of judgment is called the "tribulation". Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24:21: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." The first phase of this judgment is recorded in Revelation chapter 6 which describes six seals. (In all, there are seven seals, but this passage deals with six of them.) Let us look at this passage and see what the first three of these seal judgments will be. 1. The first seal reveals militant conquests. 2. The second seal reveals murderous conflicts. 3. The third seal reveals the presence of meager crops. + Plus, listen to Twyla Paris singing "Days of Elijah" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Coming Darkness (Part 2)	October 18, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #82 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 During our time together on yesterday, we began talking about the coming of the darkest days in the history of the world. We talked about the appearance of the antichrist, the unrestrained spirit of evil, and Satan's mastery over the world. Today, I want us to look at three remaining aspects of the darkness that will overtake the world in the last days which the Bible tells us about from this passage in II Thessalonians 2. 1. First of all, notice with me the misery of man. 2. Secondly, notice with me the mistreatment of the Jews. 3. Third, I want you to notice the majesty of Christ. + Plus, listen to Mahalia Jackson singing "When the Saints Go Marching In" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	How to Pray for a Nation (Part 6)	October 17, 2012
PLAY	TEXT -- Daniel 9:9-19 I want us to focus on how Daniel prayed for the children of Israel in light of Israel being an Old Testament depiction of the church as God's chosen people. Much of what we see in the history of the children of Israel can be seen in the history of the church. In this, the New Testament era, while the Jews are still God's chosen people, God has chosen the church to be His representatives on earth. And, frankly, just like the children of Israel, we have failed in our fulfillment of that duty. So today, I want us to see how we can use Daniel's prayer as a guide in praying for the church today. In 1520, Martin Luther wrote an essay which he called "The Babylonian Captivity of the Church." What he meant by that title was that forces that were foreign to Christ and to his Word had captured the mind and heart of the church. The church of Martin Luther's day was in bondage to godless forces, just like the children of Israel were in bondage to the godless Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians. Many Christians today have allowed themselves to be under the bondage of worldly and godless forces and the church is not as effective as it should be because of it. Just like Jerusalem lay desolate for seventy years, much of the church of today has become a desolation of disobedience, disunity, and dishonor to the name of Christ. How do we pray for a desolate church? Let's see what we can learn from Daniel's prayer for the children of Israel: 1. The first thing we should do is get back to the Word. 2. The second thing we should do is confess our sins. 3. The third thing we should do is appeal to God's zeal for his own glory.
PLAY	The Coming Darkness (Part 1)	October 17, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #81 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 During our time together on yesterday, we talked about the wonderful event called the Rapture in which the Lord Jesus Christ calls all of those who believe in Him to a glorious reunion in the air. After that meeting in the air, every believer will go to be with the Lord in Heaven for eternity. All of the promises of eternal life, peace, joy, and happiness will come to fruition for every believer. However, on earth, it will be quite a different story. Once the believers are gone from the earth, the darkest days in the history of mankind will begin, and that is what I want to talk about today. You may think that with the unemployment rate, the economic crisis, the rise of poverty even in places like America, numerous and frequent natural disasters, and constant wars and violence, we are already living in dark days. But I want to let you know that this is just the twilight -- that will be the darkness. Our passage today tells us about three different aspects of the dark days that are ahead for this world. Let us briefly look at them. 1. First of all, notice with me the blasphemous dictator. 2. Secondly, notice the unrestrained spirit of evil. 3. Thirdly, notice with me the mastery of Satan. + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "Soon and Very Soon" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	He Will Be Back	October 16, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #80 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Acts 1:1-11 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Lord willing, over the next ten days, I am going to be shifting gears a little bit, and we will be talking about the events surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In Acts 1, the Bible records for us Jesus' last meeting with His disciples before His ascension into Heaven. The disciples were standing there on the Mount of Olives with their heads tilted back straining at the cloud that had received Jesus on His way up. The Bible says, "And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." This news that Jesus Christ would return one day brought joy to the disciples' hearts. Their Master and Saviour would not be gone forever. One day, He would return. Our passage for today tells us about the return of Jesus Christ. On that glorious day, the Bible tells us that "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." On this day, the King will call His own out of the world to be with Him in Heaven forever. We will rise up from this old sin-cursed earth to be with the Master of the Universe. Notice with me three things about this rising up that will take place when Jesus returns for His followers. 1. This rising up involves a very special Person. 2. This rising up involves a very special people. 3. This rising up involves a very special power. + Plus, listen to Al Green singing "He's Coming Back" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Facing Fiery Trials, Part 1	October 16, 2012
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution
PLAY	Salvation Will Take You Places Beyond Your Wildest Imaginations	October 15, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #79 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 12:1-3: "And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." In our text for today, I want you to notice that there is one word that is used three times. That word is salvation. It is one of the most important words in the entire Bible. In fact, it is used 164 times in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the word comes from a Hebrew word which means "deliverance and victory." In the New Testament, it comes from a Greek word that means "deliverance, preservation or safety." Salvation is what we receive when we place our trust in Jesus Christ as the lamb of God who was sacrificed for our sins. However, salvation is not just a gift that you receive and then do nothing with. Rather, salvation is a gift that does something with you. If you study the instances of salvation recorded in the Bible, you will find that salvation is responsible for moving people from the place they are to another place. Salvation always takes you somewhere! Notice this: - Salvation brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt. - Salvation brought Jonah out of the belly of the whale. - Salvation brought David out of the pit of despair. - Salvation brought Paul out of his lost condition. - And salvation brings every sinner out of the darkness of bondage to sin and Satan Some of you might remember the popular book by Dr. Seuss titled, "Oh, the Places You'll Go." It is often given as a gift to those who have just graduated from college, and celebrates the opportunities that are now open to that person since they have graduated. Today, I want to share with you three places that salvation will take you, because it will take you some wonderful places indeed. 1. Salvation will take you into holy living. 2. Salvation will take you to the House of God. 3. Salvation will take you to Heaven. + Plus, listen to The Canton Spirituals singing "Glad I've Got Jesus" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Caught, Condemned, and Cleared All in the Same Day	October 14, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #78 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: John 8:1-11: "Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." The story of the woman caught in adultery is a very familiar story to most of us. Normally, however, when we look at this story we focus on the woman's self-righteous accusers and their hypocrisy. Today, I will not be focusing on this story from that perspective. Rather, I want us to focus on the woman and the beautiful message of salvation that this story holds for each of us. 1. First of all, I want you to notice that the woman was caught in her sin. 2. Secondly, notice that this woman was condemned by the law. 3. Thirdly, this woman is cleared by the Saviour. + Plus, listen to Linwood Dillard singing "The Old Account Was Settled" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	May I Introduce You to the Greatest Person Who Ever Lived?	October 14, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #77 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: John 14:1-7: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." The name of Jesus Christ is perhaps the most controversial name you can mention. Millions of people praise His name, while others curse and demean it. Yet many people do not know Him. Despite the "solitary life" that He lived, His influence stretches through time and on into eternity. Yet many people do not know Him. Much of the turmoil and debate in our culture are on account of His name. Yet, many people do not know Him. His lasting effect on the world is unmatched by any other person in history. Yet, many people do not know Him. If you are one of those who do not yet know Jesus Christ, I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to Him. John Knox said, "No one else holds or has held the place in the heart of the world which Jesus holds. Other gods have been as devoutly worshipped; no other man has been so devoutly loved." Who is this Man that so many people love? Allow me to introduce you to Jesus Christ... 1. ...as the Great Teacher 2. ...as the Great Miracle Worker 3. ...as the Great Rescuer + Plus, listen to Donnie McClurkin singing "Hail, Jesus!" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	10 Reasons Why Jesus Christ is So Wonderful (Part 2)	October 12, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #76 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Today, I want us to once again look at the name "Wonderful" and see five more reasons why Jesus Christ is so wonderful. 1. His Works Were Wonderful. 2. His Prophecies About Himself Were Wonderful. 3. His Death Was Wonderful. 4. His Resurrection Was Wonderful. 5. His Salvation is Wonderful. + Plus, listen to The Gaithers singing "Jesus, There's Just Something About That Name" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	10 Reasons Why Jesus Christ is So Wonderful (Part 1)	October 11, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #75 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." This verse in Isaiah chapter 9 tells us several names that apply to Jesus Christ. In Bible days, a person's name was chosen because it reflected something about their character. You might recall that the name Abraham means "father of many", and he indeed is the father of many when you look at the children of Israel and the children of Ishmael -- the vast population of the Middle East are all descendants of Abraham. The name Jacob means "supplanter", and he is known for cheating his older brother Esau out of his birthright as the first born son. The name Nabal means "foolish" or "senseless" and he showed his character in his dealings with David in the Bible. Today, I want us to look at the name "Wonderful" and see what it means when applied to Jesus Christ. The Hebrew word for "wonderful" means extraordinary or marvelous. So, let us look at Jesus' life and see how extraordinary, marvelous, and wonderful it is. 1. His Birth Was Wonderful. 2. His Character Was Wonderful. 3. His Life Was Wonderful. 4. His Teaching Was Wonderful. 5. His Originality Was Wonderful. + Plus, listen to Stephen Hurd singing "Jesus, You're Wonderful" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	How to Pray for a Nation (Part 5)	October 10, 2012
PLAY	TEXT -- Daniel 9:9-19 Tonight, by the grace of God, I want to continue our series titled "How to Pray for a Nation" based on Daniel's prayer for his people found in Daniel chapter 9. In this series of messages we are looking at what made Daniel's prayer for the nation of Israel powerful and effective so that we can learn to pray for our own nation in these critical times. Today, I want us to look at the element of agreement in Daniel's prayer. To that end, we will be focusing on verses 11 - 17. Throughout his prayer, Daniel made it his business to agree with God. We never get the feeling that Daniel is trying to play games with God or that he is trying to get God to do something that is outside of His will. We specifically see that Daniel agreed with God in three areas. 1. We see that Daniel agreed with God's evaluation of Israel's behaviour. 2. We see that Daniel agreed with God's judgment of Israel's sin. 3. We see that Daniel believed God's promises regarding Israel's restoration.
PLAY	I Got 99 Problems, but Hell Ain't One	October 10, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #74 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:38-39: "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." In life, all of us face troubles and problems. The Bible says in Job 14:1: "Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble." Jesus Christ said in John 16:33: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." There are some problems, such as sickness, that we simply cannot avoid. However, there are other problems that can be avoided. Everyone born into this world faces the problem of Hell. Because of our sins, we are on the road to spending an eternity in Hell separated from God after we die. However, the problem of Hell is one of those problems that can be avoided. I am grateful to God that, by His grace, I no longer face the problem of Hell. I may have other problems, but Hell is not one of them. And that is a huge burden taken off of my life. Today, I want to briefly share with you a message about some of the problems that we do have to face in this life but how none of these problems have to separate us from that which is most important -- "the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 1. First of all, we must face the problems of life, death, and eternity. 2. In this life, we have to face spiritual problems everyday. 3. In this life, we must also face present circumstances and future uncertainties. + Plus, listen to Israel Houghton singing "Jesus at the Center" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	None but the Righteous	October 9, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #73 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:20: "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Most people, especially many of us in America, think that we live in a pretty good world. For the most part, our houses are well-built, the food we buy is nourishing and wholesome, and our vehicles run properly. Things are pretty much available when and where we want them. But while this world may be good, it is not good enough. Notice the following: 12 babies are given to the wrong parents each day; Telecommunications companies misdirect 1,314 telephone calls every minute; 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions are written each year; 22,000 withdrawals will be deducted from the wrong bank account in the next hour. Our world may be good, but it is not good enough. It is not perfect. In the same way, you may consider yourself to be a good person. You may even think that you are good enough to go to Heaven. Perhaps you have said to yourself, "If I try my best to live right God will let me into heaven" or "God is so loving that He will overlook my faults and I will go to Heaven anyway." Martin Luther, the great reformer, wrote, "The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man is the idea that somehow he could make himself good enough to deserve to live with an all-holy God." My friend, you may be good, but, you are just not good enough to get into Heaven. Allow me to share with you the reason why. 1. First of all, you are not good enough because God's standard is perfection. 2. Secondly, notice that God has a solution for our imperfection -- it's called pardon. 3. If you accept the pardon that God offers by faith, you will go to Heaven despite your imperfection. + Plus, listen to Al Green singing "None but the Righteous" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Richness & Poorness of Jesus Christ (Part 3)	October 8, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #72 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Philippians 2:5-8 reads, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." In the first sermon of this three-part series, we talked about the great richness of Jesus Christ. We saw that: 1. Jesus was RICH IN POSSESSIONS. 2. Jesus was RICH IN POSITION. 3. Jesus was RICH IN HIS PERSON. 4. Jesus was RICH IN POWER. 5. Jesus was RICH IN PRAISE. 6. Jesus was RICH IN LOVE. On yesterday, we talked about the poorness of Jesus Christ. We saw that: 1. Jesus BECAME POOR IN POSSESSIONS. 2. Jesus BECAME POOR IN GLORY. 3. Jesus BECAME POOR IN PRAISE. 4. Jesus BECAME POOR IN PERSON. 5. Jesus BECAME POOR IN HIS SEPARATION FROM GOD. Jesus' poverty was accompanied by something else -- His great humility. Jesus did not become poor because He had to become poor. He became poor for us because He wanted to. He was humble enough to take on the role of a servant so that we could be saved. And that is what I want to talk about today. 1. First of all, notice that JESUS WAS SO HUMBLE THAT HE WAS WILLING TO SUFFER LOSS 2. Secondly, notice that JESUS CHRIST WAS SO HUMBLE THAT HE WAS WILLING TO DIE A CRIMINAL'S DEATH 3. Thirdly, notice that JESUS' HUMILITY LED TO HIS EXALTATION + Plus, listen to Smokie Norful singing "Oh, the Blood" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Richness & Poorness of Jesus Christ (Part 2)	October 7, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #71 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 8:9: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." Matthew 8:20: "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head." Yesterday, we talked about the great richness of Jesus Christ. We saw that: 1. Jesus was RICH IN POSSESSIONS. 2. Jesus was RICH IN POSITION. 3. Jesus was RICH IN HIS PERSON. 4. Jesus was RICH IN POWER. 5. Jesus was RICH IN WORSHIP. 6. Jesus was RICH IN LOVE. Those great riches certainly seem strange when we read our passage for today which states that Jesus Christ did not have any place to lay His head. A person who "has not where to lay his head" reminds us of poverty in the greatest degree. We have the poor with us always; but how many people do we know who are so poor they have no place to lay their head when the sun goes down? Today, I want us to study the poverty that the Lord Jesus Christ accepted in order to keep sinners out of hell through the riches of His grace. We will appreciate salvation more when we see the great contrast between the riches He had with the Father and the poverty He accepted to become Saviour of mankind: 1. First of all, notice that Jesus BECAME POOR IN POSSESSIONS. 2. Secondly, notice that Jesus BECAME POOR IN GLORY. 3. Third, notice that Jesus BECAME POOR IN PRAISE. 4. Fourthly, notice that Jesus BECAME POOR IN PERSON. 5. Fifth and finally today, Jesus BECAME POOR IN HIS SEPARATION FROM GOD. + Plus, listen to BeBe & CeCe Winans singing "Grace" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Richness & Poorness of Jesus Christ (Part 1)	October 6, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #70 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 8:9: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." In the news today, we often hear about the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor. Economists tell us that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Most people in this world strive to get rich or to at least live a life where they are comfortable financially. Some people get to that point and some people don't Tonight I want to tell you how Jesus Christ, who had all the riches in the world, gave them up so that He could die on the cross and be the Saviour of the world. We are saved by grace through faith, but I wonder how many of us have ever stopped to consider how much it really cost the Lord Jesus to provide saving grace for us poor, hell-deserving sinners? One cannot fully appreciate the vastness of the ocean until he has sailed for days without sight of land. When we stand on the beach and look out over the ocean it does not seem so great; but when we start sailing toward the far horizon we realize we have not comprehended its magnitude; there is more than can be seen at one time. We might compare God's grace with the ocean. Our vision is so limited it will take all the ages of eternity for us to realize the fulness of God's marvelous grace! Today, I want us to consider the incredible riches that Jesus Christ had. These are the same riches that He had to give up in order to come to earth and save us sinners from our sin. The Apostle Paul had a wonderful understanding of the grace of God and the exceeding riches of Christ. He said in Ephesians 3:8, "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." In Ephesians 1:18-19, Paul speaks of the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, "that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power." 1. First of all, notice that Jesus was RICH IN POSSESSIONS. 2. Secondly, notice that Jesus was RICH IN POSITION. 3. Third, notice that Jesus was RICH IN HIS PERSON. 4. Fourth, I want you to notice that Jesus was RICH IN POWER. 5. Fifth, I want you to notice that Jesus was RICH IN WORSHIP. 6. Sixth and finally today, notice with me that Jesus was RICH IN LOVE. + Plus, listen to Vickie Winans singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	If God Created the Universe, then You Will Have to Deal With that God (Meeting God at the Crossroads of Faith, Science, Truth & Reason)	October 5, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #49 (REVISED EDITION) \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Hebrews 11:1-3: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." There is a lot of misunderstanding about faith nowadays. Some people believe that faith actually contradicts facts. Michael Shermer, editor of The Skeptical Inquirer, scoffed that, "The whole point of faith is to believe regardless of the evidence, which is the very antithesis of science." I believe that Mr. Shermer is mistaken in his view. There are many ways in which scientific evidence actually backs up what many people believe by faith. However, scientific evidence is not sufficient to facilitate a belief in God or in the saving work of Jesus Christ. There are many people who accept the evidence that points to the existence of God and the saving work of Jesus Christ. Yet many of these people still have not placed their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. That is the step that takes faith. One can not simply accept the facts. One must act on the facts to be saved. The available evidence from the latest scientific research is convincing more and more scientists that facts support faith. For those of you who are the more intellectual type, today, I want to share with you some ideas regarding faith, science, truth, and reason that I believe will help you make the decision to begin a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. On this matter of faith and science, notice with me three things: 1. God is the God of faith and reason. 2. God is the God of truth. 3. God is the God of personal relationships. + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "Heaven Bound" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	We Are All Barabbas	October 5, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #69 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Matthew 27:15-26 In the news today, we sometimes hear about a man who was wrongly convicted of a crime and then sent to prison for many years being declared innocent and finally freed. But we hardly ever hear about a convicted criminal being set free until he has served his time. Today, I want to share with you the significance of a story from the Bible in which a criminal was set free and an innocent, holy man was punished. 1. First, we will look at the Imprisoned Sinner 2. Then we will look at the Innocent Saviour 3. And finally, we will look at the Perfect Sacrifice + Plus, listen to Stephen Hurd singing "Jesus, You're Wonderful to Me" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Most Important Question Ever Asked	October 4, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #68 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE: Acts 16:16-32 There is one question that you cannot afford not to ask in this life. The answer to this question, and your response to the answer, will determine the condition of your soul for eternity. Our passage today tells us about the Philippian jailer, a man who asked this most important question. Let's examine this man and the question which he asked. 1. The Philippian Jailer was a proud, unkind, selfish man. 2. The Philippian jailer experienced grace and became a humble and broken man. 3. The Philippian jailer became a saved, happy, believing man. + Plus, listen to Israel Houghton singing "Friend of God" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	How to Pray for a Nation (Part 4)	October 3, 2012
PLAY	TEXT -- Daniel 9:9-19 Tonight, by the grace of God, I want to continue our series titled "How to Pray for a Nation" based on Daniel's prayer for his people found in Daniel chapter 9. In this series of messages we are looking at what made Daniel's prayer for the nation of Israel powerful and effective so that we can learn to pray for our own nation in these critical times. I want to focus on the element of truth in Daniel's prayer. We will specifically be looking at verse 9, verse 13, and then verses 21-23 of Daniel's prayer. 1. First of all, Daniel confessed the truth about God in his prayer. 2. Second, Daniel sought to live out God's truth in His life. 3. Third, Daniel understood the truth that God gave him in answer to his prayer.
PLAY	Earth's Madness, Heaven's Gladness, Hell's Sadness	October 3, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #67 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE Luke 14:16-18: "A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse." Luke 15:10: "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Luke 16:24: "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." In the Gospel of Luke there are three very interesting pictures hanging side by side. In Luke chapter 14, there is a picture of earth. In Luke chapter 15, there is a picture of Heaven. And in Luke chapter 16, there is a picture of Hell. These three pictures demonstrate three very important spiritual truths. Today, I want us to look at each of these spiritual truths and what they mean for the eternal destiny of every man. + Plus, listen to Al Green and Heather Headley singing "People Get Ready" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	If You Were to Die Today, Where Would You Go -- Heaven or Hell?	October 2, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #66 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Matthew 7:13-14: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Today, by the grace of God, I want to share with you a brief, but important, message titled IF YOU WERE TO DIE TODAY, WHERE WOULD YOU GO -- HEAVEN OR HELL? I have asked many people this very question down through the years. Some people answered that they were sure they would go to Heaven when they died. Others were not so sure that they were going to Heaven. And some people had no idea where they were going at all. The passage which we just read in Matthew 7:13-14 clearly speaks of two roads which lead to two different destinations. The wide and broad road leads to "destruction", or eternal damnation in Hell after you die. The straight and narrow road leads to "life everlasting" with God in Heaven after you die. The people who are on these roads and headed to these destinations are not on their way by happenstance. They had to choose between these two possibilities. Everyone in this world has to make this choice as to where they will go when they die -- they can either walk the straight and narrow road to Heaven or the wide and broad road to Hell. Today, I want to pose this very important question to you: if YOU were to die today, where would you go -- Heaven or Hell? 1. First of all, I want you to understand that this is a question of crucial importance. 2. Second, today, I want you to look at the two destinations involved in this decision -- Heaven and Hell. 3. Third, today, I want you to know that you have the power to decide where you will spend eternity. + Plus, listen to Rudolph McKissick singing "Heaven" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Three Kinds of People that God Cannot Save	October 1, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #65 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Luke 18:9-14 As Jesus Christ was teaching His disciples, He told this parable about the Pharisee and the publican as way to show the foolishness of people who thought that they were better than others and thought that God should see them as better than others. In this passage, we see the very different attitudes of the Pharisee and the Publican, but in our message today we will focus mostly on the actions and thoughts of the Pharisee. In Jesus' day, the Pharisees were a religious and political party in Palestine. They were known for insisting on the minute observance of the law especially when it came to tithing and ritual purity. The word "pharisee" means 'separated one', and the Pharisees were known for looking down on those whom they called "sinners" who showed no interest in God's law. Pharisees observed the Law carefully as far as outward appearances went, but their hearts were actually far from God. Their motives were wrong because they wanted the praise of men for their outward show of piety. By examining their attitude, we can see three types of people that God cannot save: 1. The first type of person that God cannot save is the person who is trusting in himself. 2. The second type of person that God cannot save is those who are self-righteous. 3. The third type of person that God cannot save is those who will not believe. + Plus, listen to Tamela Mann singing "Joy of the Lord" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Have You Been Restored by the King of Kings?	September 30, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #64 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- II Samuel 9:1-13 I'm sure that everyone remembers King David. He's the same David who killed Goliath when he was a young man, and then became the second King of Israel. David was anointed by Samuel to be king while Saul reigned over Israel. This anointing made him a target of King Saul who had a keen hatred for David. This hatred grew to the point where there was open war in Israel between the house of David and the house of Saul. To complicate matters, Saul's son, Jonathan was one of David's best friends and during this time of strife between Saul and David, Jonathan and David made an agreement that they would always look out for each other's families no matter what happened. The war between David and Saul continued until Saul and all of his sons, including Jonathan, were killed in a battle with the Philistines. In the days that followed, David was crowned king over all Israel. And as our passage tells us, David soon began to look for one of Jonathan's family members to show kindness to on account of his friendship with Jonathan. Well, it just so happened that Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth who was lame and who had survived all of the political upheaval and slaughter. (During this time, it was fairly typical for a new royal family to have all the members of an old royal family killed off or sent away in exile so there would be no threats to the throne.) Today, we are going to look at the story of Mephibosheth, because this obscure Old Testament character gives us a beautiful picture of God's grace to sinners. As we look at the restoration of Mephibosheth, we'll see that his story represents what God has done for each of us. + Plus, listen to Deitrick Haddon singing "Glad I'm Saved" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	What is True Repentance?	September 30, 2012
PLAY	Onward Christian Soldiers #10 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Luke 13:1-5: "There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." The issue of repentance is a very important concept in Scripture. The word "repent" occurs 36 times in the New Testament. In Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist called out "Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" In the book of Revelation, we see Jesus Christ commanding a wayward church to repent. And between those two points, we have Paul and Peter calling out multiple times, 'Repent, Repent, Repent'. 1. What is true repentance? 2. Repentance is a change of mind about ourselves. 3. Repentance is a change of mind about God.
PLAY	How to Respond to Ridicule While Being Persecuted	September 30, 2012
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #12 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Nehemiah 4:1-3: "But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall." Our passage today tells us about the time in the history of Israel after Nehemiah had led a group of the children of Israel out of exile in Persia back to their homeland in Palestine. You might recall that Nehemiah was the Persian king's cupbearer, however when he heard about the city of Jerusalem still not being built and the walls of the city being broken down, he was so concerned about it that he got permission from the king to return to his homeland to help his people rebuild their city. Sanballat was a Samaritan leader and an official in the local Persian government who lived during that time. Sanballat, and his allies Tobiah and Geshem, spent their time ridiculing and trying to undermine the efforts of Nehemiah and the Jews at Jerusalem. The truth, however, is that the spirit of Sanballat has always lived in every time, and has taken form in every church. He and others like him believe that if God's kingdom is built up it will hurt their cause so they attempt to defeat the cause of Christ and those who are attempting to accomplish things for Christ. One of the chief weapons these people who have the spirit of Sanballat use is ridicule. Any time the people of God say, "Let us rise up and build", there will be a Sanballat and his crowd that will rise up and say, "let us tear down." We should not be surprised by this. For some of us, however, verbal attacks are hard to take. They don't affect us physically, but they affect us spiritually and emotionally. Many Christians will stand strong when facing physical persecution, but will falter and collapse when being laughed at and ridiculed. Sanballat and Tobiah verbally attacked the Jews in three areas: First, they attacked them personally. Sanballat called the Jews "feeble." Second, they mocked their faith. Sanballat asks, "Will they sacrifice?" -- He makes fun of the Jewish religion. And third, they ridicule their work. Tobiah says that if a fox walks on top of the wall that the Jews are building, he could knock it down. He tries to make the Jews lose confidence in their work. We will face these same types of ridicule in our life as Christians -- attacks on us personally, attacks on our faith, and attacks on our work for the Lord. Today, I would like us to consider three ways to respond to ridicule. 1. First of all, we should remember the cause for the ridicule. 2. Secondly, we must remember the character of those doing the ridiculing. 3. Third, we must remember the reward we receive when being ridiculed.
PLAY	Gideon Prayed and God Answered	September 30, 2012
PLAY	Prayer in the Bible #7 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Judges 6:33-40 The story is told of a man who was walking along a narrow mountain path one day when he slipped and fell over the edge. As he tumbled downward, he grasped a branch which stuck out of the side of the mountain and held on. When he looked down, he realized that there was a thousand-foot drop to the ground below, so he decided to cling to that branch and yell for help hoping that someone passing above would hear him and come to rescue him. After what seemed like a long time, a voice called out to him, asking him what he needed. The man looked all around, and didn't see anybody, so he said, "Who are you and where are you?" The voice said, "I am the Lord God, and I am everywhere, and I can save you if you will do what I say." The man said, "Okay, I'll do what you say." Then God said, "Let go of the branch." The man thought for a moment, and then called out, "Is there anybody else who can help me?" Our passage today tells us about a man named Gideon who, like the man hanging over the cliff, has problems trusting God. He wants to know if it is really God, telling Him to do what he has been told to do? And oftentimes, in our own lives, we have difficulty trusting God when He tells us to do something because what God tells us to do and what we think should be done are not the same. Just like we talk to God in prayer, God talks to us through His word and by His Holy Spirit. And during these times, we often go to our knees and ask, 'Lord, is it really You? Is this really what you want me to do today?" Or, like Gideon, we ask God to show us some proof that this is really His will. Today, I want to share with you four ways to know the call of God. 1. A call from God will entail a challenge in the physical realm. 2. A call from God will often involve a push from the Holy Spirit. 3. A call from God will often require you to grow in your faith. 4. A call from God will require you to ask for sufficient grace for your weakness.
PLAY	Four Lies About Life & Death	September 29, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #63 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Hebrews 9:27-28: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." We all have questions about death and what happens next. But death is not just an intellectual matter. This topic is really a matter of great spiritual significance. What you believe about death will affect how you live. Today, I want to address four lies that people believe about life and death and the truth that the Bible reveals. Lie Number One is 'I am going to live forever on earth.' Lie Number Two is 'if I fail in this life, I'll get a second chance in the next life.' Lie Number Three is that death is all there is. Lie number four is that death means uncertainty and fear. + Plus, listen to The Winans singing "Tomorrow" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	But for the Grace of God	September 28, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #62 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Ephesians 2:1-10: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." We have all heard the phrase "but for the grace of God go I." A story that is widely circulated behind that phrase is that the phrase was first spoken by the English evangelical preacher and martyr, John Bradford (who lived from 1510–1555). He is said to have uttered the variant of the expression - "There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford", when seeing criminals being led to the scaffold. He didn't enjoy that grace for long, however. He was burned at the stake in 1555, although, by all accounts he remained cheerful about his fate and is said to have suggested to a fellow victim that "We shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night". Friends, God's amazing grace is still active today saving people from their sins and transforming them into new creatures in Jesus Christ. Today, I would like to share with you three things that happen to those of us who take advantage of God's amazing grace. 1. But for the grace of God we would still be in bondage to sin and on our way to hell. 2. But for the grace of God we would not be raised up to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 3. But for the grace of God we would not be created anew in Christ Jesus. + Plus, listen to Rich Mullins singing "Awesome God" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Roots of Our Salvation (Part 3)	September 27, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #61 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Colossians 1:12-14: "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins..." Today, we are going to conclude our short series on the roots of our salvation. Over the past two days, we looked at the meaning of the Day of Atonement. We saw on yesterday how Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of everything the Day of Atonement foreshadowed. We saw that unlike the Israelite priests, Jesus Christ is a perfect priest; that because of our perfect priest we have a pure sacrifice; and that because of Jesus' pure sacrifice, we have the promise of paradise. Today, we are going to look even more deeply at the meaning of the atonement. You will notice that: In our first message, we dealt with the atonement from a man-centered perspective. On yesterday, we dealt with the atonement from a Christ-centered perspective. Today, we will look at the atonement from a God-centered perspective -- we will see what God does for us as a part of the atonement. First of all, let's review the problem of the world or the reason why we need the atonement in the first place. This problem can be summed up in four statements: 1. Humanity was destroyed by sin when we yielded to the temptations from our enemy the devil. 2. We all are born with a sinful nature. 3. We all are guilty of disobeying God's laws. 4. We all are separated from our Creator. Because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, God takes action to remedy this sad state of affairs. Four words can sum up God's actions: Purchasing, Healing, Justifying, and Reconciling. + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch and the Disciples singing "My Tribute (To God be the Glory)" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Roots of Our Salvation (Part 2)	September 26, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #60 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Hebrews 9:11-15: "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." On yesterday, we began looking at the roots of our salvation, or the foundation on which our salvation rests. We saw that the Day of Atonement was a very special time for the children of Israel which religious Jews still observe today. This day of Atonement was a day of confession and repentance of sin, a day for the removal of sins in God's sight, and a day for man to draw near to God. But, not only was the Day of Atonement a day for the children of Israel to observe, it was a day that served as a foreshadowing of things to come. The tabernacle, the priest, and even the bloody sacrifices all pointed to the future when Jesus Christ would come and settle the matter of sin once and for all. We often cringe when we hear about the slaughter of so many animals for the sins of the people. We could not imagine such a thing going on today. But notice what Martin de Haan, the founder of Radio Bible Class said: "The Bible is a book of blood and a bloody book. When we are accused of preaching a Gospel of blood we proudly plead guilty, to the charge for the only thing that gives life to our teaching and power to the Word of God is the fact that it is the blood which is the very life and power of the Gospel." Every aspect of the Day of Atonement had a meaning that was far deeper and more real than the bloody sacrifices seemed to suggest. Today, as we continue this series on the roots of our salvation, I want to share with you those things that the Day of Atonement foreshadowed. The passage which we read from the Book of Hebrews describes the fulfillment of each of these things. 1. The first thing we see in this passage is that we have a perfect priest. 2. The second thing we see in this passage is that because of our perfect priest we have a pure sacrifice. 3. Thirdly, today, we notice that because of Jesus' pure sacrifice, we have a promise of paradise. + Plus, listen to Dottie Peoples singing "Are You Washed in the Blood?" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Roots of Our Salvation (Part 1)	September 25, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #59 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Leviticus 16:29-34: "And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses." The book of Hebrews argues that the Day of Atonement points forward to Jesus Christ's work as priest. F. F. Bruce, a Christian theologian and writer states, "On the one hand, only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. Christ, however, went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. Christ's redemptive work is the antitypical fulfilment of the sacrificial ritual of the day of atonement." The Jews for Jesus organization states and describes its observances of the Day of Atonement like this: "Yom Kippur can be somewhat of a conundrum to Jewish believers in Y'shua. Do we fast and confess our sins like the rest of the Jewish community or do we rejoice in the knowledge that we're forgiven in Messiah? Many Jewish believers view Yom Kippur as a time for identification with our Jewish people, introspection for ourselves and intercession for loved ones, knowing all the while that Jesus is the One that makes us at one with God." Our passage for today describes the origins of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur simply means "day of atonement." It is perhaps the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul" -- to atone for sins which have been committed against God during the past year. Religious Jews today engage in what is called a "complete Sabbath" -- no work, no food, and no drink for one whole day. Synagogues hold two six-hour long services on Yom Kippur, which Jews are expected to attend, and many Jews wear white which symbolizes purity and calls to mind the promise in Isaiah 1:18 that though our 'sins may be as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow.' Today, I want to share with you a brief message about what happened on the Day of Atonement in ancient Israel, and the significant lessons that we can apply to our own lives from what we learn. 1. First of all, the day of Atonement was a day of confession and repentance of sin. 2. Secondly, the day of atonement was a day for the removal of sins in God's sight. 3. Third, the day of atonement was a day for man to draw near to God. + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Three Reasons to Believe the Miracles of the Bible	September 24, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #58 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- John 20:30-31: "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." Some people seem to think that the Bible is a book of fairy-tales. That it is full of fantasy stories that you tell children, but all of it is certainly not historically true. A lot of these people discount the Bible because it is full of supernatural, seemingly unbelievable, events called "miracles." Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines a "miracle" as "an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing or accomplishment. An event manifesting divine intervention, a wonderful occurrence." Scholars tell us that there are nearly 60 miracles recorded in the Old Testament and over 40 miracles recorded in the New Testament. These miracles range from the splitting of the Red Sea, the Israelites being healed by looking at a bronze serpent, and Balaam's donkey talking, to Elijah raising a boy from the dead, Jesus turning water into wine, and Jesus and Peter walking on water. As John's Gospel tells us, Jesus did many more miracles than those recorded in the Bible. But, still, the Bible is simply full of miraculous events. How do you respond to miracles? Scientists have spent a great amount of time trying to explain the Bible's miracles in natural terms. They say that the Nile turned to blood because of algae or that the first born children all died because of bacterial growth in the grain stores which only affected the top part of the grain which the first born children would eat. Or that the Red Sea crossing happened because of an exceptionally low tide - a low tide which then amazingly drowned the entire Egyptian army. Thomas Jefferson, the writer of the Declaration of Independence, didn't believe in the Bible's miracles so much so that he made his own book made up of Bible pages with the miracles left out. Is that the right attitude to have the miracles in the Bible? Of course, none of us were there when the events happened. But the Bible is not a book where you can pick and choose what you believe. All of the Bible is God's Word, and you must decide to believe all of it or reject all of it. Today, I am going to give you three reasons why you should believe the miracles of the Bible. 1. The first reason why you should believe the miracles of the Bible is because they are numerous and well documented. 2. The second reason why you should believe the miracles of the Bible is because they were done publicly 3. The third reason why you should believe the miracles of the Bible is because they were always performed with restraint. + Plus, listen to Newsboys singing "Miracles" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	What Happened When Jesus Was Resurrected	September 23, 2012
PLAY	Onward Christian Soldiers #9 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Matthew 28:1-7 When Jesus Christ died on the cross and was buried, Satan and his fallen angels thought they had won a great victory. They thought that the Roman seal on Jesus' tomb also sealed the fate of Jesus Christ. They were very mistaken! On the third day, Jesus Christ rose from the dead, victorious over Satan and his followers. Nothing could hold Jesus in the grave. Not a Roman seal. Not Roman guards. Not the Jewish authorities. Not a huge tombstone. Not the devil himself. Our passage tells us that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to Jesus' tomb to anoint his body on the first day of the week, but they found that Jesus was not there, and an angel told them that He had risen from the dead. What else happened after Jesus' resurrection?
PLAY	Three Things We Should Not Do When Facing Persecution	September 23, 2012
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution #11 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: John 15:17-21 In our passage for today, Jesus Christ addresses the issue of Christians being popular and accepted by the world. He fully understands that most people desire to have the love and acceptance of others, yet Jesus warns us that we, as His followers, will often find ourselves as anything but loved and accepted by the world. In fact, Jesus tells us that we will be hated and persecuted by the world.
PLAY	The Last Prayer of Samson	September 23, 2012
PLAY	Prayer in the Bible #8 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Judges 6:33-40 The words of a man near his death are often seen as very telling because they often reveal something about that man's character or state of mind. Sometimes, on their deathbed, people reveal long-hidden secrets, express their love for family and friends, or lament over the fact that theu didn't do something that they could have or should have done. In the Bible, we do not have too many prayers of people who are near thier death. We do have of course the prayer of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. And we also have the prayer of Stephen as he was being stoned. But Samson's prayer is different from any other prayer that we find because it is the prayer of a man who lived a life that did not have to end in such a tragic way. Today, let's examine the four main requests of Samson's prayer.
PLAY	Why Jesus Had to Die	September 23, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #57 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- John 10:14-18: "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." Muhammad lived until he was 62 years old and died of an illness. Confucius lived until he was 72 years old and died of grief over the loss of his sons and his friends. Historians tell us that Buddha died at age 80 presumably of natural causes. And the Bible tells us that Abraham, the father of the Jews, died in "the good old age" of 175. Yet, the Bible and history tell us that Jesus died when he was 33 or 34 years old. He did not die a death brought on by illness, grief, or natural causes. He died a violent death. He was arrested, subjected to a mockery of a trial, beaten, scourged, and dragged up a hillside to be crucified on a cross. The leaders of every world religion valued and sought for longevity and permanence. But Jesus Christ willingly laid gave up His life on the cross. Why did Jesus have to die? Some historians have said that Pilate allowed Jesus to be put to death for politically convenient reasons. Others say that the Jews pushed Pilate to kill Jesus because they hated for saying that He was God and threatening their established religious order. While these two reasons do factor in to the events surrounding Jesus' death, many people don't realize that there was a great purpose behind the crucifixion. Jesus had to die for much larger and more weighty reasons. 1. Jesus had to die to bring atonement for humanity. 2. Jesus had to die because He was the perfect sacrifice. 3. Jesus had to die to secure eternal life. + Plus, listen to Hillsong singing "Nothing But the Blood" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Will a Loving God Send People to Hell?	September 22, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #56 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Revelation 20:11-15: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Today, I want to address a very serious question that many people have. That question is: will a loving God send people to a burning Hell? Many people have raised this question down through the years because, to some, the idea of God sending people to Hell is inconsistent with His character. They cannot imagine the loving, gracious Creator allowing any of His creation to end up in such a horrible place. Well, allow me to share with you three points that show that even though people go to Hell, God does not send them there. 1. First of all, God is indeed all loving, but He is also all righteous, all holy, and all just. 2. Secondly, we must realize that God never intended for people to go to Hell in the first place. 3. The only reason why people end up in Hell is because of their choices. + Plus, listen to Linwood Dillard and the Voices of Citadel singing "The Old Account Was Settled" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	7 Proofs That the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Really Happened (Part 2)	September 21, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #55 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- I Corinthians 15:1-9: "...For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." Today, we are going to look another set of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact, we are going to look at the most convincing type of evidence there is, and that is eyewitness testimony. Josh McDowell wrote that, "When studying an event in history, it is important to know whether enough people who were participants or eyewitnesses to the event were alive when the facts about the event were published. If the number of eyewitnesses is substantial, the event can be regarded as fairly well established." As we will see today, there is an abundance of eyewitness testimony for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1. The disciples' testimony is evidence for the resurrection. 2. Jesus' multiple recorded appearances is proof for the resurrection 3. Third, today, the changed life of James is strong evidence for the resurrection. 4. Fourthly, and finally, Paul's conversion is evidence for the resurrection. + Plus, listen to Ron Kenoly "Jesus is Alive" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	7 Proofs That the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Really Happened (Part 1)	September 20, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #54 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Matthew 28:1-9: "...And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you..." Peter Larson once said, "The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: 'a virgin's womb and an empty tomb.' Jesus entered our world through a door marked, 'No Entrance' and left through a door marked 'No Exit.'" On yesterday, we looked at the reality of the virgin birth and saw how that it was essential for our salvation and for God's plan of redemption. The virgin birth was indeed a miraculous event. And the event that we will talk about today is equally miraculous. We are talking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The resurrection is also one of the foundation stones of Christianity. Without the resurrection, as Christians, we have no real hope of life after death. If Jesus is not alive, then He is not preparing a home for us in Heaven. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:19: "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." What Paul is saying is that if we only benefit from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in this life, and have no hope beyond the grave, then we are just as good as dead. If Jesus was not resurrected, then we have no hope of being resurrected after death ourselves. So, for each of us, the stakes are high when it comes to the resurrection -- eternity rests on whether or not the resurrection really happened. I believe that God knew there would be many people who would refuse to believe that the resurrection happened, and that is why God left so much evidence behind to show that the resurrection of Jesus Christ did indeed take place. In fact, there is so much evidence surrounding the resurrection that we will not be able to cover all of it in this message, so we will deal with three evidences for the resurrection today and then look at more evidence on tomorrow. 1. The evidence of the empty tomb. 2. The evidence that the Bible records women as the first ones to learn that Jesus had been resurrected and the newsbearers of that fact. 3. The radical change in the lives of Jesus' disciples is proof that Jesus rose from the dead + Plus, listen to Fred Hammond singing "Celebrate (He Lives)" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	How to Pray for a Nation (Part 3)	September 19, 2012
PLAY	TEXT -- Daniel 9:1-8 Tonight, I want us to take a broad overview of the rest of Daniel's prayer and see the three main parts of his request on behalf of his people. 1. As we read Daniel's prayer, we notice, first of all, that he confessed sins completely and specifically. 2. The second thing we notice is that Daniel was not praying for himself but for God's glory 3. The third thing we notice is that Daniel pleads not based upon his righteousness but upon God's righteousness and mercy.
PLAY	Why the Virgin Birth is Essential	September 19, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #53 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Larry King was once asked who he would most want to interview if he could choose any person from all of history. He said that person would be Jesus Christ. The questioner said, 'If you could interview Jesus Christ, what would you like to ask Him?' Larry King replied, "I would like to ask Him if He was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history for me." Followers of Jesus Christ believe that Jesus Christ was in fact virgin-born. This is one of the foundation stones of the Christian faith. A great deal rests on the fact of Jesus being born of the virgin Mary without the aid of a human father. Without this essential part of God's redemption process, our salvation would rest on a very shaky foundation. What is it about the virgin birth that makes it so essential? Why is it so crucial to the redemptive plan of God? Today, allow me to share with you three reasons why we cannot do without the virgin birth if we are to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God in heaven. 1. The virgin birth is essential because without it, Jesus would not have been sinless. 2. The virgin birth is essential because without it, prophecy would not have been fulfilled. 3. The virgin birth is essential because without it, Jesus could not have been the Son of God. + Plus, listen to Ron Kenoly singing "Jesus is Alive" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Is Jesus God?	September 18, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #52 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- John 8:51-59 Most people agree that Jesus Christ was a historical figure. Most people agree that Jesus Christ was a good, moral man. Most people agree that Jesus was a great religious teacher. And most people even agree that if you follow Jesus' teachings, you will live a better, happier life. But that is about where most people stop. Many people are not willing to say that Jesus Christ is God. They are not willing to say that Jesus Christ is divine. Josh McDowell said, "Why don’t the names of Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius offend people? The reason is that these others didn't claim to be God, but Jesus did." Today, I want to show you that, not only was Jesus a great teacher, not only did Jesus teach us about God, but Jesus Himself claimed to be God. For that is where the rubber meets the road. If Jesus Christ is not God, then He is of no more consequence than other religious, moral, or philosophical teachers. He would rank no higher than Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, Muhammad, Gandhi, or the Dalai Lama. But if Jesus is who He says He is then that is a situation that we all must deal with. 1. First of all, I want us to look at Jesus' claims of divinity. 2. The second thing I want you to notice is that Jesus acted in the stead of God. 3. The third thing I want us to notice is that the testimony of other Bible writers back up Jesus' claims that He is God. + Plus, listen to CeCe Winans singing "Come Fill My Heart" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Three Reasons Why We Can Trust the Bible	September 17, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #51 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- I Peter 1:24-25: "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." The Bible is perhaps the most contested book in all of history. No other book has been banned, burned, and confiscated as much as the Bible. Yet, no other book has made so many people so willing to die for what it says. After so much turmoil surrounding the Bible down through the centuries, 1 Peter 1:25 makes a lot of sense -- "the word of the Lord endureth forever." Many people, today, still have questions about the Bible. They want to know whether it is a book of truth or a book of made up stories. They want to know what will happen if they follow its teachings. They want to know whether or not the Bible is reliable in what it says. Well, I am one of those who has read and followed the teachings of the Bible for many years, and I can tell you that the Bible has never failed me. It is has proven to be true in all of its claims throughout my experience. But for those of you who are not as familiar with the Bible, allow me to share with you three reasons why we can trust the Bible. 1. The first reason why we can trust the Bible is because the text of the Bible is reliable. 2. The second reason why we can trust the Bible is because of its remarkable unity. 3. The third reason why we can trust the Bible is because it is life-changing. + Plus, listen to Adam Young singing "In Christ Alone" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Is Jesus Christ the Only Way to God?	September 16, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #50 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- John 14:6-7: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." In our present era of conflicting worldviews and new religious claims, no question has been raised more than the question of whether or not Jesus is truly the only way to God as He claimed to be. This question is very important because if He is truly the Only Way, then all other paths are dead ends. In fact, it would be foolish for someone to ignore the claims of Jesus Christ and not examine them while He had a chance. Thus, this very important question deserves an answer. Nearly 2000 years have passed since Jesus walked on the earth, and Christians still believe and proclaim that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. Others, however, challenge that belief. Today, allow me to address three responses to this most important question. 1. One response people give is that faith is a matter of sincerity. 2. Another response people give is that faith is a matter of opinion. 3. A third response that people give is that faith is a matter of fact. + Plus, listen to Hillsong singing "One Way Jesus" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Why Are the Righteous Persecuted?	September 16, 2012
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution, Part 10 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Matthew 5:10-12: "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. People often ask the question, why do bad things happen to good people? That question may come to mind when you are being persecuted for the faith. Here you are holding to the truth, holding to righteousness, following Jesus Christ, and trying to live a good and upstanding life. Yet, you are persecuted because of your faith in Jesus Christ. It doesn't seem fair. It doesn't seem right. Yet, as He expresses in the verses we just read, Jesus anticipates that His followers will be persecuted for righteousness. Today, let's look at the reasons why righteousness is persecuted. 1. The first reason why righteous people are persecuted is because evil people love something that is evil or untrue. 2. The second reason why righteous people are persecuted is because unrighteous people feel a need to justify their own actions or lifestyle. 3. The third reason why righteous people are persecuted is because the principles that they live by are from another world.
PLAY	If God Created the Universe, then You Will Have to Deal With that God	September 16, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #49 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Genesis 1:1 reads, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Hebrews 11:1-3 reads, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." There’s a lot of misunderstanding about faith. Some believe faith actually contradicts facts. Michael Shermer, editor of The Skeptical Inquirer, scoffed that “The whole point of faith is to believe regardless of the evidence, which is the very antithesis of science.” However, that’s certainly not a correct understanding. Faith should be seen as a reasonable step in the same direction that the evidence is pointing. In other words, faith goes beyond merely acknowledging that the facts of science and history point toward God. It’s responding to those facts by investing trust in God—a step that’s fully warranted due to the supporting evidence. Oxford’s Alister McGrath pointed out that all worldviews require faith. He said, “The truth claims of atheism simply cannot be proved. How do we know that there is no God? The simple fact of the matter is that atheism is a faith, which draws conclusions that go beyond the available evidence”. On the other hand, the available evidence from the latest scientific research is convincing more and more scientists that facts support faith as never before. In his article titled, "The New Convergence", journalist Gregg Easterbrook writes, "The age-old notion that there is more to existence than meets the eye suddenly looks like fresh thinking again. We are entering the greatest era of science-religion fusion since the Enlightenment last attempted to reconcile the two." On this matter of faith and science, notice with me three things: 1. Could It Be that Faith and Science Are Intellectual Kinfolk? 2. What Is Truth? 3. Since God Is the Creator of the Universe, Don't You Believe It Is Time for You to Meet that God? + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "Heaven Bound" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	God's Answers to Atheists	September 14, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #48 \| with Daniel Whyte III SCRIPTURE -- Psalm 14:1: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." Psalm 53:1: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good." If you have been following the changes in our society and culture, you have no doubt heard of a group of people called the "new atheists." Their numbers are growing at a rapid pace. A recent Gallup poll reports that five percent of Americans say they don't believe in God. That may seem like a small number, but in reality, it isn't, considering that just seven years ago, only one percent of Americans called themselves atheists. Though there are many of these so-called "new atheists", three of them stand out because they have written bestselling books over the past few years that promote their views. Their names are Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens who died last year. Previously, atheism carried a stigma with it; people didn't come out and publicly declare themselves atheists because it was looked down upon. But these "new atheists" are very aggressive in their beliefs. They not only condemn belief in God, they condemn those who have respect and tolerance for a belief in God. To them, religion is not just wrong; it's evil, and they say society would be better without it. Someone once told the story of a philosophy professor who was teaching a course and he warned the class that he was going to give them a test the next day. When the day came, he entered the classroom, placed his chair on his desk and, turning to the blackboard, he wrote, "Prove to me this chair does not exist." Most of the nervous students began intently scribbling out a long answer. But one member of the class wrote down just two words, and then handed his paper to the teacher. On the paper, the student had wrote: "What chair?" I think this is often what happens when a determined atheist is asked to prove what he believes. He simply looks around and asks, "What God? I don't see Him." Yet, if an atheist were to honestly look at the world, I believe he would see numerous reasons to believe in the existence of God. Now, the fact of the matter is, no one can conclusively prove or disprove the existence of God. You cannot put God in a testube and examine Him. But what we can do is provide reasons for our beliefs, and that is what I wish to do today. On yesterday, we talked about how the incredible order of the universe, the precise design of the human body, and the coming of Jesus Christ to earth are all reasons to believe in God. Today, I want to show you three answers which God gives to atheists' objections to His existence. 1. The first answer is the fact that there is morality in human nature. 2. The second answer which God gives to atheists is the fact that there is spirituality in human nature. 3. The third answer which God gives to atheists is the fact that so many people have given their testimony of a relationship with God. + Plus, listen to Ricky Dillard and New G singing "God is Great" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Why You Should Believe In the Invisible God	September 13, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #47 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- John 1:18: "No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." Perhaps the most pressing question regarding the Bible is not whether or not the Bible is true, but whether or not the God the Bible speaks of is real. Did He really do all that the Bible says He did? Is He really like what we read of in the Bible? John 1:18 tells us that nobody has ever seen God. It is easy for us to think that if God wants us to believe in Him, He should make Himself visible so we could talk to Him, touch Him, hear Him verbally and see Him with our own eyes. Yet, God remains invisible. We often speak of the sun rising and the sun setting. In reality, the sun does not move. The earth turns and gives the appearance that the sun is moving. We describe the sky as blue. But any astronaut will tell you that the sky does not have a color. Just because we see something does not necessarily give us reason to believe it. What about invisible things? You cannot see gravity, yet it works everyday keeping you on the ground. You cannot see radio waves, yet when you turn on the radio in your car, you hear people talking and music playing. What I am saying is that you cannot base your belief in something on whether or not you can see it. Whether God is visible or invisible does not really tell us anything about His existence. Is it possible to believe in an invisible God? Is it reasonable to believe in an invisible God? I believe that it is. Let me show you three reasons why. 1. One reason why you should believe in an invisible God is because of the signs in nature that point to Him. 2. Another reason why you should believe in an invisible God is because of the intricate design of your very own body. 3. A third reason why you should believe in an invisible God is because of the life of a famous person named Jesus Christ. + Plus, listen to Andrew Peterson singing "Great Invisible God" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The History of Hell (Part 3)	September 12, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #46 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Luke 16:19-31 A Danish minister wrote a novel titled "Letters from Hell." In it a man named Otto dies in the prime of life, he goes to Hell, and then he begins to relate the torments and regrets that are the consequences of the self-centered life that he led. As Otto wanders through Hell, he also describes the fate of other lost souls who inhabit that place of torment, one of them who happens to be his own mother. What would it be like if we were to actually receive a letter from someone who was in Hell today? What kind of effect would it have upon us? Well, today, we have something close to a letter from Hell. We have the story of a rich man who died and went to Hell. Yes, the Bible gives us the testimony that fell from the parched lips of a man burning in Hell! 1. First of all, notice with me, that after death, your arrival at your eternal destination is immediate. 2. Secondly, notice with me what the rich man took with him to Hell. 3. Thirdly, notice with me that after you die, there is no hope left. + Plus, listen to Walter hawkins singing "Changed" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	How to Pray for a Nation (Part 2)	September 12, 2012
PLAY	TEXT -- Daniel 9:1-8 Tonight, by the grace of God, I want to continue our series titled "How to Pray for a Nation" based on Daniel chapter 9:1-19. In this series of messages we are delving deeply into this powerful passage of Scripture, and learning what made Daniel's prayer for the nation of Israel effective as well as how we can take the principles we learn and apply them in praying for America. Because of the length of this passage, we are only taking a few verses at a time as we glean from this passage. Tonight, I want us to zero in on verses two and three of the text and see three key points that made Daniel's prayer so powerful.
PLAY	The History of Hell (Part 2)	September 11, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #45 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Mark 9:43-48: "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." On yesterday, we began looking at the origin of Hell. Today, we will continue looking at the history of Hell. Yesterday, we saw it's origin. Today, we will see what kind of place Hell really is. 1. First of all, we will take a look at the first mention of Hell in the Bible. 2. Based on God's words and Jesus' words, we know that Hell is a place. We will examine what kind of place Hell is and the location of Hell. 3. We will take a look at what Jesus Christ did in Hell when He died on the cross. + Plus, listen to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing "Holy is the Lord" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The History of Hell (Part 1)	September 10, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #44 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Matthew 25:31-41: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth." There is no mention or suggestion that God created (or prepared) hell when He created the heaven and the earth. The reason was because there was no need for hell. There was no devil in the beginning. There was no sin in the beginning, and God does not create or prepare anything that is of no use to Him or His creatures. So, when was Hell prepared, and why? Hell was prepared after Lucifer became the devil. The date or time this happened is not revealed to us. The Word of God tells us why and how Lucifer became the devil; but it does not tell us when this happened. Today, we will see: 1. That everything God created was good. 2. How Lucifer fell. 3. That Jesus is victorious over Satan. + Plus, listen to the CeCe Winans singing "Come Fill My Heart" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	In Pursuit of Peace (Part 2)	September 9, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #43 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- John 16:33: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Peace is perhaps the most sought after thing in the universe. Nearly everyone wants to have peace in the world and in their lives. omeone once said, "Peace on earth -- which man throughout the ages has so longed for and sought after -- can never be established, never guaranteed, except by the diligent observance of God's order." To find true peace, one must get it from God through Jesus Christ. The world we live in will always be rocked by turmoil, disaster and upheaval. Therefore, true peace must come from Someone who has overcome the world. And, as John 16:33 tells us, Jesus Christ is that Someone. During our last time together, we looked at three aspects of this God-given peace. Today, allow me to share with you the remaining three things that people need in order to have peace in their lives. 1. To have true peace in this life, one must have freedom from death and the fear of death. 2. Secondly, to have true peace in life, one must have freedom from loneliness. 3. Thirdly, and finally, to have true peace, one must have the hope of a permanent and pleasant home. + Plus, listen to the Laura Story singing "Perfect Peace" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	In Pursuit of Peace (Part 1)	September 8, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #42 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- John 16:33: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." History tells us that since the year 36 BC, there have been 14,553 known wars. Since 1945, there have been over 70 wars and more than 200 significant outbreaks of violence. And since 1958, over 100 nations have been involved in one way or another in armed conflict of some kind. In all the years of recorded world history, the world has only been at peace 8% of the time. Perhaps the greatest effort in the world is the effort to bring about peace. Various organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union were created with the purpose of providing peace and stability for its members. Diplomats from various governments go from one country to another, negotiating deals and signing agreements all in the name of keeping peace in the world. Just as we desire peace in the world, we all desire to have peace in our lives. We face hectic work schedules, troubled family lives, sickness, financial troubles, and so much more. At the end of a long day most of us just want to sit down and have some peace, quiet, and rest before we have to face the world again the next day. Oftentimes it seems like we will never have this peace in our lives or in the world. Peace is defined as "quietness and tranquility; freedom from disturbance and unrest." There are six things that we must have in order to have true peace in our lives. Allow me to share the first three with you today from the Word of God. 1. The first thing we must have to have true peace is freedom from sin and sin's consequences. 2. The second thing we must have to have true peace is freedom from fear. 3. The third thing that you must have to have true peace is freedom from want. + Plus, listen to the Harlem Gospel Choir singing "It Is Well With My Soul" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	I Still Believe in a Place Called Heaven (Part 2)	September 7, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #41 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Luke 24:36-53: "And he [Jesus] said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen." (44-53) During our time together on yesterday, we took a glimpse into Heaven, and together we saw three things that the Bible tells us God the Father is doing in Heaven right now. Jesus Christ who is God's Son was sent to earth to live among men, take our sins on Himself, and then die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. After Jesus Christ died on the cross, He was buried, and then He rose from the dead by the power of God. After He rose from the dead, the Bible tells us that he walked the earth for forty days, and then he went with his disciples to the Mount of Olives where "he was parted from them, and was carried up into heaven." Today, I want us to see what the Bible tells us Jesus Christ is doing in Heaven today. 1. First of all, we know that Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of God in Heaven. 2. Secondly, Jesus Christ is acting as a mediator or advocate for those who believe on Him. 3.Third, Jesus is preparing homes in Heaven for those who believe on Him. + Plus, listen to Walter Hawkins and Tramaine Hawkins singing "I'm Going Up Yonder" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	I Still Believe in a Place Called Heaven (Part 1)	September 6, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #40 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Revelation 22:1-5: "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." Some people think that talking about heaven and the afterlife is a waste of time. They say that we should focus on things that are more practical. However, I think that if God did not want us to be concerned about Heaven, He would not have written so much about it in the Bible. He would not have given us the beautiful descriptions of Heaven like the one we just read together. The story is told of a boy who stood on a windy hillside, flying a kite. He continued to release the string of the kite and it went higher and higher until it was completely out of sight. One of his friends walked up and asked how he knew there was still a kite on the other end. He replied. "I know it's there because I feel it tugging on the line." Like the kite, we can't see Heaven right now, but we can feel it tugging at our souls! We want to be there because somehow we know that Heaven is infinitely better than earth. We know that God, the Creator of the universe, is in Heaven. In Deuteronomy 26 the people of Israel pray to God, "Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people." In Genesis 17, we read that God "went up" when He was finished talking with Abraham. Today, I want us to take a glimpse beyond Heaven's gates and see what we can learn from the Bible about what God is doing in Heaven. I. First of all, we know that God listens to prayers in Heaven. II. Secondly, we know that in Heaven, God is observing all that we do and say. III. Third and finally today, we know that God is keeping records in his books. + Plus, listen to Walter Hawkins singing "I'm Going Away" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	How to Pray for a Nation (Part 1)	September 5, 2012
PLAY	TEXT -- Daniel 9:1-8. Tonight, by the grace of God, I want to commence a series of messages titled "How to Pray for Our Nation" based on Daniel chapter 9: 1-19. We probably do not need to be reminded of this fact, but our nation is in desperate need of prayer, repentance, and revival at this time. Over the next few weeks, we will delve deeply into this passage of Scripture, and learn what made Daniel's prayer for the nation of Israel effective as well as how we can take the principles we learn and apply them in praying for America. Because of the length of this passage, we will only take a few verses at a time as we learn from this passage. Tonight, I want you to focus your attention on verses 1 - 8. Verses 1 - 3 serve as an introductory paragraph that tell us the context of Daniel's prayer. Daniel, along with the people of Israel, is in exile in Babylon. It is almost 70 years since the exile had begun and Daniel is moved to prayer after he is reading Jeremiah's prophecies which indicate that the exile is nearing its end.
PLAY	In Search of the Meaning of Life (Part 2)	September 5, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #39 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 During our last time together, we began looking at the issue of people who search for satisfaction, fulfillment, happiness and contentment in the wrong places. We began looking at the writings of King Solomon and the six ways in which he tried to find meaning and purpose in life. We saw how Solomon sought to find meaning and purpose in life through pleasure, accomplishment and achievement, and riches and material possessions. However, all of these ways failed him, and we saw how they fail people today who pursue those same paths. As Solomon himself put it, it is all "vanity and vexation of spirit." In other words, it is all passing or short lived. Today, let's look at the three remaining ways Solomon searched for meaning in life, and how each of these ways failed to provide what he was searching for and fail to provide what people today are searching for as well. 1. First of all, Solomon found that power does not bring meaning or satisfaction in life and people today find that the same is true. 2. Second, Solomon found that wisdom and knowledge did not bring meaning or satisfaction in life and people today find that the same is true. 3. Third, Solomon found that love and romance did not bring meaning or satisfaction in life and people today find the same to be true. + Plus, listen to the Andrae Crouch singing "Jesus Came Into My Life" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	In Search of the Meaning of Life (Part 1)	September 4, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #38 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 There are so many people who go through life searching for satisfaction, fulfillment, happiness, and contentment. People pursue more money, more success, more education, and better relationships, all in an attempt to fill an emptiness that they feel inside their hearts and souls. These people are searching for meaning and purpose in life. Almost three thousand years ago, a man who we often refer to as 'the wisest man who ever lived', struggled with this same pursuit. His name is King Solomon, and he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes in which he documents his search for meaning in life. Some people have said that the Book of Ecclesiastes is a very pessimistic book. But we must understand that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes from the perspective of someone who was living under the sun, S-U-N. Anybody who lives only for this life will come to the same conclusions as Solomon did. However, if you live above the sun, S-U-N, in the Son, S-O-N (that is Jesus Christ), then you will come to the conclusion that life is very much worthwhile. In fact, Solomon gives us a glimpse of this kind of life at the end of his book when he states the following: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Chuck Swindoll said, "Ecclesiastes presents us a naturalistic vision of life—one that sees life through distinctively human eyes—but ultimately recognizes the rule and reign of God in the world. This more humanistic quality has made the book especially popular among younger audiences today, men and women who have seen more than their fair share of pain and instability in life but who still cling to their hope in God." The passage we just read is a summary of the various ways in which King Solomon attempted to find that meaning in life. From this and other passages in the Bible, we can identify six paths which Solomon pursued to find what he was searching for. After searching out all of these various paths, Solomon came to the same conclusion repeatedly -- they all were "vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun." The word "vanity" is a very interesting word. The original Hebrew word is "hebel" and it means "vapour or breath". Therefore, something that is a vanity is something that is passing or short lived. Today, let's look at three of the ways Solomon searched for meaning in life, and how each of these ways failed to provide what he was searching for. Many people today search for meaning in the things we will discuss as well, and sadly find that these things do not provide meaning at all. 1. First of all, Solomon found that pleasure does not bring meaning or satisfaction in life and people today find the same. 2. Secondly, Solomon found that much accomplishments and achievements did not bring meaning or satisfaction in life without God, and people today find the same. 3. Third, Solomon found that wealth and material possessions did not bring meaning or satisfaction in life and people today find the same. + Plus, listen to the Walter Hawkins and Family singing "Jesus Christ is the Way" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Why the Gospel is Good News (Part 2)	September 3, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #37 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- I Corinthians 15:1-4: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." During our last time together, we began looking at the Gospel and why it is good news. We saw that: (1) The Gospel is good news because it brings with it the defeat of Death. (2) The Gospel is good news because it brings deliverance from Sin. (3) The Gospel is good news because it dissolves the matter of Judgment. Today, we are going to look at three more reasons why the Gospel is good news. Why was the birth of Jesus Christ good tidings of great joy? Why is the Gospel good news? Allow me to share with you three reasons why the Gospel is good news. 1. First, the Gospel is good news because it tells us that salvation is a free gift of God. 2. Second, the Gospel is good news because it tells us that salvation is for everybody. 3. Third, the Gospel is good news because it tells us that we can be reconciled to God. + Plus, listen to the Mississippi Mass Choir singing "Jesus Paid It All" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Why the Gospel is Good News (Part 1)	September 2, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #36 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- I Corinthians 15:1-4: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." A word that is heard often when speaking about Christianity is the word "gospel". But what is the gospel? What does that word mean? The word gospel literally means "good tidings", "glad tidings", or "good news". When a choir of angels appeared on a hillside in Bethlehem to announce the birth of Jesus Christ, they said, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Why was the birth of Jesus Christ good tidings of great joy? Why is the Gospel good news? Allow me to share with you three reasons why the Gospel is good news. 1. The Gospel is good news because it brings with it the defeat of Death. 2. The second reason why the Gospel is good news is because it brings deliverance from Sin. 3. The third reason why the Gospel is good news is because it dissolves the matter of Judgment. + Plus, listen to Forever Jones singing "Heaven" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Four Foolish Ways to Try to Get to Heaven	September 1, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #35 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Matthew 25:1-12: "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not." In our passage today, Jesus Christ uses a traditional Jewish wedding feast to depict the kingdom of Heaven and show us that just as five of the virgins were not prepared to go into the marriage feast, there will be some people who will not go to Heaven. Many people who think they are going to Heaven are going to be severely disappointed. All of the ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom thought they were ready but only five were really ready. The other five, whom the Bible calls foolish virgins, were shut out of the feast. It would be very sad if you were to get shut out of Heaven. So, today, allow me to share with you four foolish ways to try to get to Heaven and then the one true way that is guaranteed to get you to Heaven. 1. It is foolish to try to get to Heaven through good works. 2. It is foolish to try to get to Heaven by living a good life. 3. It is foolish to try to get to Heaven by church membership and religious rituals. 4. It is foolish to try to get to Heaven by depending on somebody else. + Plus, listen to Kathryn Scott singing "Heaven is Our Home" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	How to Find True Freedom	August 31, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #34 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- John 8:31-32: "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." We all want freedom in our lives and in our society. Some of our greatest rights are described as freedoms -- freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom to choose how we want to live our lives. But perhaps, the most important area in which we want freedom is our personal lives. Many people desire freedom from addiction to drugs or alcohol, freedom from a cycle of abuse, freedom from negative relationships, or freedom from feelings of depression. People try all kinds of ways to set themselves free from the negative situations in their lives. People try counseling, therapy, religious rituals, yoga, meditation, and a whole range of other methods to set themselves free from personal and spiritual bondage. But the Scripture teaches us that the only truly free people in the world are those who have made Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior and who obey Him with all their heart. Jesus Christ said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" Allow me to share with you how Jesus Christ makes people free in every aspect of their lives. 1. First of all, Christ frees people from the penalty of sin. 2. Secondly, Jesus Christ frees people from the power of Satan. 3. Thirdly, Jesus Christ frees people from the pain of the world. + Plus, listen to Mandisa singing "Free" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Importance of the Word "All"	August 30, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #33 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Isaiah 53:6: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Words are important. They can be used for good or for bad. We use them to communicate our thoughts, our feelings, and our desires. We could not function in this world without words. Bestselling author, Roy Williams, said “Words start wars and end them, create love and choke it, bring us to laughter and joy and tears. Words cause men and women to willingly risk their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Our world, as we know it, revolves on the power of words.” There are many important words in the Bible. God used words to communicate his loving plans and desires for His creation. Today, I want to draw your attention to one little word that carries a great deal of importance. That word is the word "all". It occurs over 4,600 times in the English Bible. The word "all" means: "each, every, the whole, all things, or everything." Allow me to share with you four truths from the Bible that this little word communicates: 1. First of all, the Bible tells us that all have sinned. 2. Secondly, Jesus Christ paid for the sins of all the world. 3. Thirdly, the Bible lets us know that all people can be saved. 4. Fourth, today, the Bible tells us that God invites all people to be saved. + Plus, listen to Casting Crowns singing "Until the Whole World Hears" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Five Sad Truths Found in the Bible	August 29, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #32 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Matthew 7:13-14: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." The Bible contains many wonderful words of hope, encouragement, instruction, and blessing for God's children. But because God is truthful and the Bible is a truthful book, it also contains words of judgment, condemnation, and punishment. In short, the Bible tells the good and the bad. In light of that, today, I want to share with you five sad truths that are found in the word of God. I. The first sad truth is that not everybody is going to be saved. 2. The second sad truth found in God's word is that more people will be lost than will be saved. 3. The third sad truth found in the Bible is that many who are expecting to be saved will be lost. 4. The fourth sad truth is that no one will be saved after death. 5. The fifth sad truth is that this could be your last opportunity to be saved. + Plus, listen to Bart Millard singing "Victory in Jesus" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Praying When the Going Gets Tough	August 29, 2012
PLAY	Prayer in the Bible #5 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Numbers 11:11-17 Today, by the grace of God, I want to briefly share with you a few insights on prayer from this passage in the book of Numbers. The occasion of Moses' prayer in this passage is another time of crisis among the children of Israel. This time, the children of Israel are complaining about the fact that they have nothing but manna to eat. They begin to murmur among themselves about all the food that they ate back in Egypt, and they speak against God and against Moses. The Bible tells us that because of this "the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly" and Moses was also "displeased." Moses had been carrying a heavy burden leading the children of Israel from Egypt by himself. He had to guide them in spiritual matters, legal matters, and everyday life issues. At this point, there are six hundred thousand adult males with their families who are depending on Moses for leadership. So it is understandable that Moses would become overwhelmed at some point. Now, with the Israelites complaining again because they are sick of eating manna, Moses nearly reaches his breaking point. I. First, today, I want you to notice that Moses does the right thing at this point -- He goes to God in prayer. II. Second, we see here that Moses found relief in sharing his burden with God. If you look at Moses' prayer, you will see that Moses poured out everything that was on his heart and mind. III. Third, we see that after his prayer, Moses got a solution to his problem.
PLAY	Why God Sent Jesus Christ Into the World	August 29, 2012
PLAY	Onward Christian Soldiers #7 \| with Daniel Whyte III The Bible says in John 3:16-17: "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Because of the fallen state of the world, it is often a wonder to us that God could love us so much that He would send His Son Jesus Christ into the world to walk among sinners. Well, from Scripture, we see that there are three specific reasons why God sent Jesus Christ into the world.
PLAY	The Man God Called a Fool	August 29, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #31 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Luke 12:15-21: "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. We should not lightly call someone a fool. Jesus warned against this in Matthew 5:22 when He said, "whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." But I believe it is safe for us to say that the man described in this passage was a fool, because God called him a fool. Today, I want to give you four reasons why God called this man a fool. 1. First, this man was concerned only with things 2. Second, this man thought things would satisfy his soul 3. Third, this man planned for time and not eternity 4. This man thought he had plenty of time + Plus, listen to Hillsong singing "Worthy is the Lamb" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Greatest Event in History	August 28, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #30 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Luke 23:26-33: "And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left." This passage of Scripture from the book of Luke describes the most important event in history -- the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This entire event can be summed up in one phrase from this passage. That phrase is found in verse 33 -- "there they crucified him." I want to focus on those four little words today and share with you what happened during the most important event in history. + Plus, listen to Kathryn Scott singing "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Tomorrow May Be Too Late (Part 2)	August 26, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #29 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-2: "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" During our last time together I shared with you the urgency of not waiting until tomorrow to give your life to Christ. This is such an important issue in the Word of God and there is more that we can learn from the Bible about not putting off this all-important decision. Let us look now at the tragic choices of three people who said "tomorrow!" + Plus, listen to The Winans' singing "Tomorrow" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Tomorrow May Be Too Late (Part 1)	August 25, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #28 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-2: "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" Have you signed a contract with the devil that you will never be saved? Have you signed an agreement in which you faithfully and solemnly promised Satan that you would spend eternity in hell? Did you solemnly promise never to be saved? CERTAINLY YOU DID NOT! The devil has never asked any person to sign such an agreement. He will never ask a sinner to sign a contract never to be saved, or to promise to spend eternity in hell. Satan is too wise, too shrewd, too cunning, to do such a thing. He is a deceiver---but he is no fool. He is the destroyer, but he is not stupid! Satan is subtle and extremely wise. He can appear in many forms, but he most frequently appears as "an angel light". It is true that he walks about "as a roaring lion...seeking whom he may devour"; but he will take any form and use any method to lead a soul to hell! He never asks anyone to promise never to be saved. All he wants is--- ONE DAY AT A TIME Satan is content with one moment, one second, at a time, because life is so brief, it is compared to vapor or steam as it pours from the teakettle, or the early morning fog, which appears for a little moment and then vanishes. James 4:13-14 reads, "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." The devil knows that if he can get you to put off salvation one day at a time, if he can get you to ignore one warning at a time, he will eventually claim you as his victim and will damn your soul in the lake of fire and brimstone! I am now giving you a message of WARNING concerning sin, death, judgment, and damnation, and in this message you will also be given the plan of salvation. + Plus, listen to The Winans' singing "Tomorrow" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Most Important Thing You Need to Know in Life (Part 2)	August 24, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #27 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- I John 1:7: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." During our previous time together, we saw how God used the whole Bible to speak to us about one simple but extremely important truth -- that "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." There are three other important things that God wants us to know about the blood of Jesus Christ his Son. The first thing is that the Blood was promised. The second thing is that the Blood was provided. And the third thing is that the Blood is powerful. + Plus, listen to the 12th District AME Choir singing "Oh, the Blood" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Most Important Thing You Need to Know in Life (Part 1)	August 23, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #26 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- I John 1:7: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." The most important thing you need to know is contained in this single verse -- "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." This simple expression sums up the basic message of the Bible. Everyone who has ever taught or studied knows that the basic fundamental of teaching is repetition. No matter what the level of education is, repetition is key to learning anything well. The fact that "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin" is something that God wants us to know very well. It is so important, that it is repeated in various ways throughout the Scripture many times. Today, let's look closely at the importance of this truth. + Plus, listen to Myron Butler singing "The Blood of Jesus" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	How to be Cured of Spiritual Blindness	August 22, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #25 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Matthew 9:27-30: "And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it." Thankfully, Jesus healed many blind people during his ministry on earth. But did you know that blindness in the Bible is also a metaphor for a person's spiritual condition when he or she is without Jesus Christ? Second Corinthians 4:3-4 says, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." The "god of this world" is the devil who blinds people to the light of the Gospel of Christ. In this story of two blind men who seek Christ, I want us to consider several things which took place physically that also apply spiritually to those who need Christ. 1. First, I want you to notice that these blind men were earnest. 2. Second, I want you to notice that these blind men were persistent. 3. Third, notice that these men had a definite object in their quest. 4. Fourth, we see that these blind men confessed their own unworthiness. My friend, you may be in a state of spiritual blindness today. You may still be bound by sin. If you are, then you are on your way to hell. The Bible says in Revelation 21:8, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Jesus Christ is asking you the same question that he asked the blind men. Do you believe that He is able to save you? Hebrews 7:25 says, “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him (Jesus Christ).” The Bible says that Jesus can save you. Many millions of people have trusted Jesus to save them. I know Jesus can save you because He saved me. The question is, Do you believe He can save you? Everything depends on the answer to that question. When Jesus asked these blind men this question, they said, “Yea, Lord!” They said, “Yes, Jesus, we believe you can heal us of our blindness.” And then the Bible tells us that Jesus “touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened...” + Plus, listen to Tim Hughes singing "Happy Day" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Saved by God's Grace Alone, Through Faith Alone (Part 2)	August 21, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #24 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Currently, we are addressing the topic of how man is saved by God's grace alone through faith alone as stated in the Bible. During our last time together, we saw three reasons why man cannot save himself. Man cannot save himself because of who he is. Man cannot save himself because of what he can do. And man cannot save himself because of how he feels. Today, let's turn our attention back to Scripture and look closely at Ephesians 2:8-9. Verse eight says, "for by grace are ye saved..." What is grace? Grace is defined as "good will, loving-kindness or favour." Biblically-speaking, grace is "the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues." Providing grace is the part of salvation that God must do. And God has already done his part. God showed his grace by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Titus 2:11 says, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." When Jesus Christ hung on the cross, that was God's grace put on display for all the world to see. Now, it is man's turn to make a move. In other words, by displaying His grace, God put the ball in man's court. Now, man has to act on the grace that God has provided. What is man's role. Verse eight says, "For by (God's) grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." God provided his grace because of his goodwill and loving-kindness, now we must have faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. We must receive the free gift of salvation that comes from Christ's death. + Plus, listen to Jeremy Camp singing "There Will Be a Day" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Saved by God's Grace Alone, Through Faith Alone (Part 1)	August 20, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #23 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." If you could gather in one great assembly a representative of every religion in the world and spend thousands of hours discussing the question, "How can man be saved?" you would only end up with two doctrines regarding salvation. One, that God saves man. And two, that man saves himself. As we see from God's Word today, the Bible teaches that God saves man by grace alone through faith alone. I want to point out to you today, three reasons why man cannot save himself. I. Man is not saved because of what he is. II. Secondly, man is not saved because of what he does. III. Thirdly, man is not saved because of what he feels. Right now, my friend, you can stop trying to get to Heaven on you own and take advantage of the grace that God is offering you. The Bible says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." + Plus, listen to Casting Crowns singing "All Because of Jesus" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Greatness of God's Forgiveness (Part 2)	August 19, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #22 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Ephesians 1:3-7 -- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Yesterday, we saw several ways that God's forgiveness is NOT given out. Today, first of all, I want you to notice, the only way that God's forgiveness IS given out is -- FREELY! It is so simple, you might not get it. God's forgiveness is given out FREELY! You don't pay for it. You don't work for it. You don't do anything at all for it. God's fists are not clenched tightly over the supply of forgiveness; but He gives it out freely by His grace. Romans 5:20 says, "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." No matter what your sins are, God has forgiveness enough for you. You see, God is infinite. He is not limited by space, time, matter, ability or anything else. If I got ten billion dollars from God tomorrow, that doesn't mean that God would have any less money than He did when He gave some to me. And if he forgave the most wicked sinner of the most wicked sin, that does not mean that He has any less forgiveness available than what He had before. He is infinite. And His forgiveness is measureless. Now, you might be saying, 'You've told me a lot about how wonderful this forgiveness is. How do I get this forgiveness from God?' Let's take a look back at verse seven. The verse says, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins..." Notice the word "whom". This shows us that the forgiveness comes through a Person. Who is that Person? That person is Jesus Christ. Forgiveness of sins comes to us entirely through Jesus Christ. It does not come through the church, through a priest, or through a ritual. It comes through Christ. + Plus, listen to Rush of Fools singing "Wonder of the World" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	The Greatest Prayer Request Ever	August 19, 2012
PLAY	Prayer in the Bible #4 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Exodus 33:11-23 Last week, we saw how Moses interceded for His people after they had sinned greviously in God's sight and worshipped a golden calf. God decided not to destroy the children of Israel, but the Levites who still stood with God went through the camp and killed 3,000 idolaters. As the children of Israel were in great mourning and repentance, Moses went back to talk to God. God wanted Moses to continue leading the people to the Promised Land, but Moses said that He would not lead them to the Promised land unless God Himself went with them. So God said that He would still go with them. And then Moses made a great prayer request. Charles Spurgeon said it was the greatest request a man ever made of God. Moses said, "I beseech thee, shew me thy glory." God agreed to show Moses His glory. He did not show Him His face, for He said, no man could see His face and live. However, God passed by Moses and allowed Him to see his backside. I. I want you to notice that we often discover God's glory in a time of crisis. II. Secondly, I want you to notice that God answered Moses' prayer request but not in the way that Moses asked. III. Thirdly, when this prayer was answered for Moses, others knew it before he did.
PLAY	How Jesus Showed the World that he Was God on Earth	August 19, 2012
PLAY	Onward Christian Soldiers #6 \| with Daniel Whyte III The Bible says in Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Jesus Christ fulfilled each of these titles while He was here on Earth. One of the most remarkable of these titles is "the mighty God." Jesus Christ claimed to be God. In John 10:30, He boldly declared, "I and My Father are one" and in John 14:9 he said, "He that has seen Me has seen the Father." The religious leaders of His day tried to kill Jesus because He claimed to be God. But, perhaps, if they really looked at Jesus' life they would not have tried to kill Jesus because they would have seen by His actions that He was indeed God. Let's look at five reasons how Jesus showed that He was God while He walked this earth. 1. Jesus Christ showed that He was God by living a sinless life. 2. Jesus Christ showed that He was God by demonstrating his power over the elements. 3. Jesus Christ showed that He was God by demonstrating power over evil spirits. 4. Jesus Christ showed that He was God by healing sickness and disease. 5. Jesus Christ showed that he was God by showing His power over death.
PLAY	The High Cost of Following Christ, Part 2	August 19, 2012
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution, Part 7 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Matthew 10:23-31: Today, as we continue our series on persecution in the church and how to handle persecution in our lives, I want to draw your attention to this passage in Matthew 10 in which Jesus Christ is telling his disciples what life will be like as they set out to serve Him and spread the gospel. If we read this whole chapter, we will see that Jesus has called his disciples together and He is about to send them out into the cities of Israel to preach that the Kingdom of God has come. But first, he gives them some instructions that they need to take heed to as they go. He also gives them warnings about the six types of persecution they will face as they spread out to preach the Gospel. Last week, we looked at the first three types of persecution that Jesus tells his disciples that they will face -- persecution from authorities, family betrayal, and hatred from others. I. The first type of persecution the disciples would face is being driven from their homes because of their faith. II. The second type of persecution that Jesus warns his disciples about is being maligned and mistreated. III. The third type of persecution that Jesus' disciples would face is the ultimate sacrifice -- death.
PLAY	The Greatness of God's Forgiveness (Part 1)	August 18, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #21 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Ephesians 1:3-7 -- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" I want to draw your attention today to verse seven of our passage. Paul is writing this letter to the Ephesians to encourage them in their personal faith. And in this, the beginning of his letter, he mentions the "forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." And that is what I want to focus on in our time together today. At some time in our lives, we all need forgiveness from others, and most of all, we need forgiveness from God because we are all sinners. Let's look at five aspects that show us the greatness of God's forgiveness. 1. First of all we see that God's forgiveness is not according to the character of the offender. 2. The second thing we notice is that God's forgiveness is not according to our sins. 3. The third thing we notice is that God's forgiveness is not limited by time. 4. The fourth thing we notice is that God's forgiveness is not given according to our remorse for our sins. 5. The fifth thing we notice is that God's forgiveness is not according to the strength of one's faith. + Plus, listen to Adam Young singing "In Christ Alone" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	What Repentance Really Means	August 17, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #20 \| with Daniel Whyte III Down through the ages, every person since Adam has had to repent in order to have a right relationship with God. The importance of repentance is made clear by the fact that so many men of every biblical age have preached about it. The Bible says in Matthew 3:1-2: "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Paul said in Acts 20:21 that he testified, "both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." And Jesus Christ even said in Luke 13:3: "...except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." So, repentance is a very important subject in Scripture. But many people are not sure about what repentance really is. Modern dictionaries define repentance as "feeling sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; to regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action or attitude." But this is not the Biblical definition of repentance at all. Today, we will examine false ideas about repentance, the biblical definition of repentance, and then what repentance has to do with faith and salvation. + Plus, listen to Hillsong singing "At the Cross" and Deitrick Haddon singing "A Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	What Does it Really Mean to Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? (Part 2)	August 16, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #19 \| with Daniel Whyte III During our previous time together, we tackled the question of what does it really mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We saw, first of all, that we are born again by the word of God. Secondly, that we are saved by faith. And third, that our salvation is not dependent on our feeling. Today, I want to share with you part two of this message titled, "What does it really mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?" First of all, notice that GOD CANNOT LIE. According to Hebrews 6:18, it is "impossible for God to lie." And Paul wrote to Titus concerning the "hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began". When you, the very best you know how, receive Jesus as your Saviour, that is as far as you can go; the rest is up to God and whether or not you are going to believe God? He said if I would call, He would save me. I have sincerely called--and I know He saved me because He said He would. Those who have sincerely called and still do not know whether or not they are saved simply DO NOT BELIEVE GOD. Yes, they believe there IS a God, they believe Jesus died and rose again, they believe God WILL save them--but they are not willing to believe God DOES save them NOW, thus taking Him at His Word. They are not willing to believe He saved them because He said He would. They want Him to prove His truth by giving them some emotional experience. They are not willing to believe Him on His Word alone. They insult Him by asking for proof that He told the truth But the Bible says in Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the Son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" Nine out of ten people wait for a "feeling" before they are willing to believe God. They ask God to save them, then tarry for Him to give them a feeling--and then they will believe Him. Do you not see how wrong this would be? You would then believe because of "feelings"--not because of God's Word. Those who are not willing to believe God's Word are calling God a liar. + Plus, listen to Brandon Heath singing "Your Love" and Deitrich Haddon singing "A Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	What Does it Really Mean to Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?	August 15, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #18 \| with Daniel Whyte III Acts 16:31: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." How does one believe on Jesus? How can we know when we have believed on Him? To many, "believing" was easy--but to countless thousands the words "believe" and "faith" are mysteries hard to understand. They say, "I have always believed in Jesus. I have always believed the Bible; yet I do not know whether or not I am saved." That little word 'faith" stops them--yet it is faith that makes salvation so simple and so easy that man has a hard time accepting it. Paul said in II Corinthians 4:3,4, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them". The devil has blinded the spiritual eyes of mankind to the simplicity of salvation, and put it into the human that man must DO something in order to be saved. "Faith" is the stumbling stone. Some interpret faith to mean praying, working, feeling--and countless other things that have to do with man's efforts and emotions. It is not God's will that we live in uncertainty. It is His will that we know and understand what "believing" means. Therefore I want to tell you, as simply as I know, what it means to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. + Plus, listen to CeCe Winans singing "Mercy Said No"
PLAY	Four Things Jesus Finished on the Cross	August 14, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #17 \| with Daniel Whyte III John 19:30: "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." This verse in John relates to us some of the agony that Jesus experienced on the cross. As Jesus Christ hung on the cross in tremendous suffering and pain that day, he uttered seven statements. His sixth statement was "It is finished." These three little words carry a lot of meaning. Today, we will examine what Jesus meant when he said, "it is finished" as he hung on the cross. I. The first thing that Jesus finished on the cross was the fulfillment of prophecy. II. The second thing that Jesus finished on the cross was His personal suffering. III. The third thing that Jesus finished on the cross was the conquest of Satan. IV. The fourth thing that Jesus finished on the cross is a perfect salvation. + Plus, listen to The Katinas singing "Everlasting God"
PLAY	The Olympics of Eternal Life	August 13, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #16 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 1 Corinthians 9:24-25: "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." As you probably know, the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games have been played over the past 17 days. During this time, over 10,000 athletes from 204 countries competed in almost every sport imaginable. Thirty new world records were set and 946 medals were awarded. Last night, the closing ceremony of the London Olympics took place. The Bible talks about a spiritual Olympics that is far more important than the Olympics we saw over the past 17 days. You see, an Olympic medal will not last for ever. The medals that Olympic champions receive will one day decay and the money they receive will be used up. But the Bible talks about an eternal prize, "an incorruptible crown, that fadeth not away." Paul, the writer of this passage, was familiar with the games at Isthmia near Corinth which took place every two years. He may have even been in Corinth during one of these events. The city would have been packed and many people would be forced to camp out in tents, so Paul, who was skilled at tentmaking would have probably applied his trade during this time. Since he is writing to the Corinthians who are familiar with this event, he uses the metaphor of runners racing for a prize to get his point across in this passage. Please notice with me five things that we can learn about the olympics of eternal life: I. The first thing that Paul urges his reader to do is to run with a purpose. II. The second thing I want you to notice is that when you run, you must run with discipline. III. The third thing I want you to notice is that earthly prizes and rewards are only temporary. IV. The fourth thing we notice is that if we run this race and run it well, we will receive an eternal prize that cannot be taken away. V. The fifth thing we notice is that in order to win this race, you have to get in the race. + Plus, listen to Steve Ivey singing "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross"
PLAY	Three Wrong Responses to God's Question	August 12, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #15 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Genesis 3:8-15 "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." As we read this passage, it is easy for us to focus on Adam and Eve's sin and how God punished them by throwing them out of the Garden. But today, I want you to focus on God's immediate reaction to the Fall of Man. When the news of the Fall reached Heaven, the very first thing that God did was come straight down to seek out those who had sinned against Him. Just as he had many times before, He walked through the Garden looking for Adam and Eve who should have come running to meet Him. Instead, Adam and Eve hid from God, and God had to search for His creatures. Imagine, God Almighty walking through a Garden that He made calling out for the creatures He made, "Adam, where art thou? Where art thou?" Adam and Eve, who immediately felt their separation from God after their sin, should have been the ones crying out for God and searching for Him. But God instead left Heaven to search the Garden for these two who had sinned -- not to destroy them from the face of the earth, but to plan a way to rescue them from the misery of their sin. Instead of finding them running to Him in penitence and repentance, God finds Adam and Eve hiding among the trees in the Garden. I said all of that to say this: Because of Adam's sin, all of us -- Adam's descendants -- are sinners. There is a barrier between us and God. The natural reaction of a person who has a broken relationship with God is to hide from Him. But God, like a good shepherd who searches for a lost sheep, follows the sinner to his hiding place calling out, "Where art thou?" Right there in the Garden of Eden, God set in motion a plan to save His fallen creation from their sins. The Bible says, "the wages of sin is death..." God knew that someone would have to die for the sins of the world. And so, as part of His plan, about four thousand years after the Fall, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for the sins of the whole world. Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Because of Christ's death on the cross, the door was again opened for man to have a right relationship with God. Now, God calls out to man in love and compassion pleading with Him to accept the gift of salvation. Unfortunately, some people don't answer God's call as they should. Let's look briefly at three wrong responses to God's question. + Plus, listen to Big Daddy Weave singing "Redeemed"
PLAY	Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb? (Part 2)	August 12, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #14 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Colossians 1:19-20: "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." Today, I want you to notice with me that CHRIST'S BLOOD MAKES PEACE FOR SINNERS When Adam sinned against God in the Garden of Eden ALL men became sinners, fellowship between God and man was broken, and man was at war with God. Since the day Adam sinned in the Garden, a state of open rebellion has existed in the soul of man -- rebellion against God; and God demanded retribution. Then it was that Jesus willingly identified Himself with lost humanity and accepted the full responsibility of man's sin. The Son of God took man's place. He became flesh -- and in that body of flesh He did for us what we could never have done for ourselves. Jesus took our guilt to Calvary and through His death on the cross He secured a peace treaty. The righteousness of God was vindicated and the way opened whereby the state of war beween God and man might be terminated. Any man who will exercise faith in the finished work of Jesus and trust in His SHED BLOOD will find PEACE with God! Romans 5:1 and 11 states, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." PEACE WITH GOD comes only through the SHED BLOOD OF Jesus. When the poor, lost sinner puts his trust in the BLOOD OF CHRIST, peace -- SWEET peace -- comes into the heart of that sinner. I also want you to notice that GOD SAVES US FOR CHRIST'S SAKE Ephesians 4:32 reads, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." I John 2:12 reads, "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake." The only possible way for God to be JUST and JUSTIFY the sinner is through the SHED BLOOD OF JESUS. Romans 3:24-28 reads, "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Finally today, I want you to notice that THE BLOOD OF CHRIST BRINGS BELIEVERS INTO A NEW FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD Ephesians 2:12-13 reads, "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Through the SHED BLOOD of Christ, racial and man-made barriers were broken down and removed. Now the RICH and the POOR, the WISE and the UNWISE, the "UP-AND-OUT," and the DOWN-AND-OUT, sit together at the same table IN CHRIST JESUS. There is no difference. WHOSOEVER WILL is invited to come and find rest, peace, and fellowship IN HIM. Through the BLOOD of Jesus a NEW HARMONY was created! The peace secured at Calvary through the BLOOD OF CHRIST became experimental in the souls of men -- Jews, Gentiles, slaves, and slavemasters -- when the message of REDEMPTION THROUGH CHRIST'S BLOOD reached out to WHOSOEVER WILL. Have you heard the message? Have YOU, dear so
PLAY	Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb? (Part 1)	August 10, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #13 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: 1 Peter 1:18-21: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." There is something about BLOOD that arrests our attention. Whenever and wherever we see BLOOD we stop, look, and wonder. Did someone have an accident? Was someone killed? YES, BLOOD ARRESTS THE ATTENTION OF EVERYONE. There is a reason for this --- a Bible reason: In Leviticus 17:14 we read, "For it (the blood) is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: FOR THE LIFE OF ALL FLESH IS THE BLOOD THEREOF...." Therefore we know that when BLOOD is shed, life is impaired --- or lost! Dr. Oliver B. Greene, an evangelist who had a huge impact on my life offers this story. He said: For 35 years I have read in the Bible, "THE LIFE OF ALL FLESH IS THE BLOOD THEREOF" --- but I never fully realized the tremendous TRUTH of those words until November 6, 1968. On that date I spent an average day in The Gospel Hour office. I transcribed in the morning, worked at my desk for several hours, and did some dictation on a book I was writing. I felt good --- in fact, I felt better than I had for ten years. However, at 4:00 that afternoon I began feeling extremely weak. I left the office, went into my house, and sat down in an easy chair. Suddenly a sharp pain struck my head, then a second pain. Everything turned dark and I passed out! An ambulance was called, I was placed in the ambulance and rushed to the hospital. I was so sick that during my conscious moments I sincerely asked to die. When the doctors finally diagnosed what had happened to me, a little blood vessel at the base of my brain had ceased to function, the blood ceased to reach that little section of my brain, causing me to collapse and become unconscious! The entire left side of my body became numb and lifeless --- all because of one small blood vessel. It had never occurred to me that one tiny blood vessel could mean so much to my body. Not only is the BLOOD important to our physical life, but more important is THE BLOOD OF CHRIST IN SALVATION FROM SIN. The BLOOD OF CHRIST is the MASTER KEY that unlocks the door of salvation. THE BLOOD, like a SCARLET THREAD, runs through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. When Adam sinned, God provided a covering for Adam and Eve by shedding blood. Genesis 3:21 reads, "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them." The skins from which God made coats for Adam and Eve were furnished by innocent animals who gave their lives. Their BLOOD WAS SHED that sinful man might be clothed. This act of God in the Garden of Eden pointed to the coming of the Lamb of God TO SHED HIS BLOOD ON THE CROSS TO TAKE AWAY OUR SIN. Every book in the New Testament speaks of THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, and the BLOOD of Christ is synonymous with the LIFE of Christ. The Scriptures declare the indisputable fact that salvation is ours only because of THE SHED BLOOD OF CHRIST, and apart from His SHED BLOOD there is no salvation. + Plus, listen to Dottie Peoples singing "Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb?"
PLAY	"Somewhere" is Heaven	August 10, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #12 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Revelation 21 & 22:1-5 As we begin today, allow me to share with you this beautiful song sung by Barbra Streisand titled "Somewhere": Someday, somewhere We'll find a new way of living We’ll find a way of forgiving Somewhere... There's a place for us Somewhere a place for us Peace and quiet and open air Wait for us Somewhere There's a time for us Someday there'll be a time for us Time together with time to spare Time to learn, time to care Someday, somewhere We'll find a new way of living We’ll find there's a way of forgiving Somewhere... Somewhere... Somewhere... There's a place for us A time and a place for us Hold my hand and we're half way there hold my hand and I'll take you there Somehow... Someday, somewhere... The beautiful lyrics of this song call to mind a place of quiet and a place of peace. As a Christian, all I can think of is that place called Heaven. John MacArthur wrote a wonderful article about this place called Heaven. Allow me to share with you briefly some of his words. "Heaven is a place more wonderful than we can ever begin to imagine. It is a place of joy and beauty, of peace and happiness that will never end. "Heaven is also a place where there will be no sin or suffering, no sorrow or pain. It's a place where there will be no quarrels or disagreements, no disappointments or weeping -- because there will be nothing there to make us sad. And in heaven we will never do anything to displease God. "We will then know perfect joy. Psalm 16:11 says, "In Thy presence is fullness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever." Everything that now makes us groan will finally be done away with, and we will find ourselves in the very presence of God, where the purest and truest kind of joy is possible. "In heaven we will also have perfect knowledge. The Bible says, "Then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will have no more unanswered questions, no confusion, no ignorance, and no more need to walk by faith rather than by sight. "We will live in perfect comfort. We will love God perfectly and will be loved perfectly by Him. His love will engulf us forever. "Stated simply, heaven is a place of perfect joy forever." The passage which we read from the book of Revelation is a part of John's futuristic vision. In his vision, John gives us a glimpse of what Heaven will be like. Allow me to share with you three aspects of Heaven which John shows us in his description of this beautiful place. I. First of all, John shows us that eternal life will be a reality in Heaven. II. Secondly, John shows us that the sin curse will be removed in Heaven. III. The third thing we see in this passage is that we will once again be reunited with God. + Plus, listen to Barbra Streisand singing "Somewhere", Inez Andrews singing "Come and Go to That Land", and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"
PLAY	Memories of the Way We Were From a Very Sad Place	August 9, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #11 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: Luke 16:19-31: Just this past week, Marvin Hamlisch, the famous American composer and conductor, passed away. And as I was preparing to deliver this message on memories, I was reminded of his song titled "Memories of the Way We Were" which was sung so beautifully by Barbara Streisand. I know that this song is referring to positive memories in life, but I believe that the ability to remember is a powerful tool that God has given us and I wanted to share the lyrics of this song with you as we begin our time together today. Memories, Light the corners of my mind Misty water-colored memories Of the way we were Scattered pictures, Of the smiles we left behind Smiles we gave to one another For the way we were Can it be that it was all so simple then? Or has time re-written every line? If we had the chance to do it all again Tell me, would we? Could we? Memories may be beautiful and yet What's too painful to remember We simply choose to forget So it's the laughter We will remember Whenever we remember... The way we were... The way we were... People have often wondered whether or not they can take anything with them after they die. The ancient Egyptians buried their dead with items such as food, bowls, and jewelry that they thought would allow the dead to live comfortably in the afterlife. The first emperor of China was buried with statues of over eight thousand soldiers that were supposed to protect him in the afterlife and to ensure that he had people to rule over. However, the Bible says in Psalm 49:16-17: "Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away..." The Bible also says in I Timothy 6:7 that "we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." My friend, when you leave this world, you can carry nothing material with you. You will not even take the clothes they dress your cold body in at the funeral. When you reach your final destination -- whether it is heaven or hell -- there is only one thing that you will have -- your memory. Today, I want to briefly share with you three things you will remember in Hell. Allow me to bring to your attention the fact that this passage was actually a story told by Jesus Christ. Yes, the loving, humble Saviour Jesus Christ talked about Hell. In fact, no one ever drew such a picture of Hell as the Son of God. No one else could do it so well, for He alone knows what the future will be. Jesus taught plainly about Hell; just as loving parents will warn their children of punishment to come.
PLAY	The Thief, the King, and the Cross	August 7, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #10 \| with Daniel Whyte III TEXT -- Luke 23:39-43: "When they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left...And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." When a prominent man dies, we are anxious to find out what his last words and actions were. We see in this passage that the last act of the Son of God was to save a sinner. Jesus Christ saved this thief just as he stood at the edge of the precipice of death. This thief was on the very border of hell, and Christ snatched him from the claws of Satan. What is it that saved this thief who was nailed to the cross, his blood dripping away, his life slowly fading? Some people say there are things you must do before you can be saved. Yet this thief did nothing at all to be saved. He just hung there and died. Some people say it takes time to be saved. Yet this thief had no time. He was on the verge of death. In just a couple of hours, a Roman soldier would come and break his legs to make sure he was dead. Yet, this thief was saved. In the short time this thief was hanging on the cross, we can see from this story three things that happened that allowed Jesus Christ to say to this thief, "Today, shalt thou be with me in Paradise."
PLAY	Three Marks of a True Believer in Christ	August 7, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #9 TEXT:James 2:17-20: "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" One of the most important questions that anyone can ask is, 'how can I know that I am saved?' What is the evidence that one is truly a son or daughter of God who has accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour. Today, we will look at three aspects of faith that show up in the life of a true believer in Jesus Christ. I. First of all, I want you to notice that a true believer has a living faith. II. Secondly, I want you to notice that a true believer has a faith that brings forth fruit. III. Thirdly, today, I want you to notice that a true believer has a faith that gives peace.
PLAY	The Tragedy of Making Excuses (Part 3)	August 7, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #8 TEXT: Luke 14:16-18: "A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse." Today, we are going to look at three more excuses that people give as to why they cannot come to Christ and the Biblical answers to each of these excuses. I. One excuse that some people give is "My heart is too hard to come to Christ. I am too much of a sinner for Christ to accept me." II. Another excuse that people use to reject Christ is saying they don't like church meetings or church people. III. Thirdly, and finally, today, there are those people who say they cannot trust themselves to be saved.
PLAY	How God's Perfect World Was Ruined, Part 2 (Onward Christian Soldiers Discipleship Ministry #4)	August 6, 2012
PLAY	The Bible gives us three reasons as to how the world became ruined. Last week, we looked at the first reason which was the Rebellion of Satan and his Angels. Today, we are looking at the Second Reason, which is the Disobedience of Man.
PLAY	The Tragedy of Making Excuses (Part 2)	August 5, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #7 TEXT: Luke 14:16-18: "A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse." Today, we are going to look at three more excuses that people give as to why they cannot come to Christ. and the Biblical answers to each of these excuses. I. Another excuse people give is "I don't have the time." II. A second excuse that people make is 'I don't feel it.' III. Some people say, 'I can't be saved because I do not know if I am elected.'
PLAY	The Tragedy of Making Excuses (Part 1)	August 4, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #6 Some people are always making excuses for not doing their duty, and especially for not coming to Christ. If I asked some people to come to Christ, they would be ready to give some excuse for not accepting the invitation. When people are presented with the Gospel they automatically have an excuse for not receiving Christ, and if they don't have one ready, Satan will be right by them to help them make up one. He is good at it. That has been his occupation the last six thousand years -- helping men to make excuses. Keep in mind, that the men in our passage were invited to a feast -- not a funeral. They were not invited to go to prison. They were not invited to a hospital. They were invited to feast. Now, when a man prepares a feast, there is a great rush to see who will get the best seats; but when God prepares His feast, the chairs would all be empty, if His disciples did not go out to compel people to come in. No sooner did the King send out His invitations than the excuses began to rain in. I want to share with you three excuses that people often give for rejecting salvation and the Biblical answers to each of these excuses. I. Some people say, 'I have tried, but it is just too hard to be a Christian.' II. Another excuse people give is "I can't understand the Bible." III. A third excuse that people make is 'Well, there are hypocrites in the church.'
PLAY	What Salvation Really Means	August 3, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #5 TEXT: I Peter 3:18-20: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." Many people have heard about this thing called salvation through Jesus Christ. Perhaps you heard of it when you attended church as a child. Perhaps you were walking down the street one day and ran into a street preacher who was talking about salvation. Or maybe someone came to your door to give you a Gospel tract about this thing called salvation. But you never took the time to find out what salvation through Jesus Christ really means. Well, today, I want to share with you what salvation really means from the Word of God.
PLAY	Don't Wait Until It's Too Late	August 2, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #4 TEXT: Isaiah 55:5-6: "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Today, I want to talk briefly about the most important thing you can do in life and how you should not put it off until tomorrow. What is the most important thing you can do in life? It is seeking the Lord -- getting to know the Almighty God who is your Creator and Sustainer. You would not exist without God. Don't you think it is wise to get to know Him?
PLAY	In God's Courtroom	August 1, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #3 TEXT: Galatians 2:16 The Bible says that "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." This verse simply means that one day you will die, and that after death, you will face God. Have you ever wondered what that face-to-face meeting with God will be like? Well, the Bible calls it a judgment. So, let's use our sanctified imaginations to imagine ourselves in God's courtroom with God as the judge. No doubt, after you die, you will want to go to Heaven. God wants you to go to Heaven as well but after you die the Bible tells us that you will face God. What would that meeting be like? Perhaps, one of God's angels will open a book which will have your name in it and a list of your sins underneath. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned", so many names and many sins will be listed in the book. Your sins are named out to you -- every lie, every lustful glance, every hateful word. Even the things you thought were small and insignificant will loom large in God's courtroom. You begin to feel hopeless because you know that with your sins, you could not be allowed into Heaven. What do you do?
PLAY	Are You Thirsty?	July 31, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #2 TEXT: Psalm 42:1-2 In this psalm, David writes as a sad and downhearted person. In fact, in verses 5 and 6, David says his "soul is cast down." We do not know exactly why David is downhearted, but he is probably going through some kind of difficulty or suffering. It is almost as though he feels that God is not there with him. He gives us the picture of a deer longingly looking for streams of water, panting, breathless and thirsty but not finding any water. Oftentimes, we find ourselves with the same types of feelings. When we face disappointments, struggles or obstacles in life, we often become sad and downhearted. And like a deer looking for water, we find ourselves looking for some kind of solution to our problem -- something that will make the situation better. It is during these desperate moments, when we realize that we need God and we long for Him. We search for Him because we know that He can satisfy our need. From these two verses, today, I would like to share with you three points from our passage today.
PLAY	Looking for a City	July 30, 2012
PLAY	100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #1 TEXT: Hebrews 11:13-16 At various times in our lives, we find ourselves looking for a better place. In a way, this searching can also depict a spiritual journey that many of us are on. We are searching for a place that is better than this world. We search for a better place because the condition of our current home is in such a bad state. If the world that we live in is so terrible, what is it that we long for deep down in our hearts? Is it not to find a better place than what we have now? This yearning is one of the strongest feelings in the human heart. It is not the foolish syndrome of looking for greener grass on the other side; rather, it is a God-given inclination to find a place where we can be at perfect peace. Just like America was a "better place" for the first European settlers in America, we also are searching for a better place called Heaven. Our passage today talks about a group of people who "desire a better country, that is, an heavenly (country)." That is what we are searching for as well. We are looking for Heaven. Unlike our broken earth, Heaven is a place of calm and tranquility. There is no sickness, no death, no suffering, and no pain in Heaven. In Heaven, all of our needs will be supplied and all of our desires will be satisfied. Frankly, my friend, Heaven cannot be compared with anything we know on earth.
PLAY	How God's Perfect World Was Ruined, Part 1 (Onward Christian Soldiers Discipleship Ministry #3)	July 29, 2012
PLAY	The Bible states in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." This is the very first verse in the Bible, and it tells us how everything that exists came into being. The universe did not come into being by itself. God created it. And God created every human being who has ever walked the earth. The Bible shows us that God spoke the world into existence. Psalm 33 says, "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth...For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." When God created the earth, He prepared it to be inhabited. He created all plant life, animals, fish, and then He created His most wonderful creation -- man! Man is God's most wonderful creation because he was created "in the image of God." The Bible says in Genesis 1:27: "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created he them." God made the first man out of the dust of the ground. His name was Adam. God also made a beautiful wife for Adam. Her name was Eve. God planted a garden for Adam and Eve to live in. It was called "the Garden of Eden" and it was a paradise. Every tree in the garden was beautiful to look at and good for food. Four rivers flowed through the garden. Adam and Eve had everything they needed to make them happy. God told Adam and Eve that they could freely eat of every tree in the garden except one. In Genesis 2:17, He told them, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Adam and Eve lived a happy life. The thing they enjoyed most of all was that God Himself came down to visit them every day. God walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the beautiful garden that he had made. SO, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEAUTIFUL WORLD THAT GOD MADE?
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution (Part 4)	July 29, 2012
PLAY	TEXT: Daniel 3:19-25 Today, we are continuing our series on how to handle persecution. Our passage for today is a continuation of the familiar story of Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace because they refused to bow down to the statue which Nebuchadnezzar had set up. We are at the point where the three Hebrews told the King that there was no need to give them a second chance to bow down to his statue because they simply were not going to deny their God. Let's look at three lessons we can learn from this passage that we can use when we are facing persecution.
PLAY	The Seven Characteristics of the Nature of God (Onward Christian Soldiers Discipleship Ministry #2)	July 22, 2012
PLAY	Many people have pondered the question of God's nature down through the years. God says of himself in Isaiah 44:6, "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God." The Bible tells us a lot about the nature of God. Let's see what we can learn about God from His Word.
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution (Part 3)	July 22, 2012
PLAY	TEXT: Daniel 3:13-18 Today, we are continuing our series on how to handle persecution. Our passage for today is from the familiar story of Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace because they refused to bow down to the statue which Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to deny their God and give in to the pressure that Nebuchadnezzar was putting on them. Their faith and their display of courage offer three important lessons for us as we deal with the issue of persecution.
PLAY	May I Introduce You to God? (Onward Christian Soldiers Discipleship Ministry #1)	July 15, 2012
PLAY	In Isaiah 43:11, God says, "I am the Lord, and beside me their is no Saviour." In verse 25, he says, "I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." In Isaiah 44:6, God says, "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." In verse 24, he says, "I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself." In Exodus 3:14, God told Moses, "I Am that I Am." My friend, God is so great and wonderful that we can never know all about Him. But God tells us what He is like in the Bible. Today, we are going to see what the Bible tells us about God.
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution (Part 2)	July 15, 2012
PLAY	TEXT: 1 Corinthians 4:11-13 Today, we are continuing our series on how to handle persecution. My message for today is entitled "How to Respond to Your Persecutors." When we are mistreated, it is human nature to want to lash out and retaliate. As Christians, however, Christ commands us to, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." We should not respond in a un-Christ-like manner to the attacks of the world.
PLAY	How to Handle Persecution (Part 1)	July 8, 2012
PLAY	TEXT: 2 Corinthians 12:10 In the news today, we often hear about Christians being persecuted. In Nigeria, churches are being bombed by a radical Muslim group called Boko Haram. In India, Christians are being attacked, harassed, and are having their homes burned down by radical Hindus. In Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab countries, Christians are not allowed to freely practice their faith and openly share Jesus Christ with others. In China, Christian house churches are routinely broken up by government officials. Jesus Christ warned his followers in John 15:18-20 that persecution would come. He said, "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." It is oftentimes difficult for us to decide how to respond to persecution. But our passage today shows us three ways to respond when we are being persecuted.