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Let's Pray Part 1

Allen Jackson Ministries

September 22, 2020

27:29

Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

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Let's Pray Part 1

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Pastor Allen Jackson: If we'renot willing to believe that
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spiritual forces impact ourlives, then why are we here?
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If we don't believe thatspiritual forces, if we don't
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believe in angels and demons andfallen angels and a hierarchy
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of evil, if we're not willing toaccept those principles,
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why do we come to church?
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And if we do accept that, if wewill accept the presentation of
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Scripture and make room in ourimagination, then it only seems
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logical to me that we began toformulate a response.
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How do we participate?
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♪♪♪
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♪♪♪
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♪♪♪
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CC BY ABERDEEN CAPTIONING1-800-688-6621WWW.ABERCAP.COM
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Pastor Allen Jackson: Our titlefor this session is
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"War in Heaven: Let's Pray."
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Did you know there'sa war in heaven?
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You know, the Bible talks aboutmore than one heaven, in fact,
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it says there's at leastthree heavens.
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Because we're told that Paulknew a man who was caught up
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into the third heaven.
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And, you know, we typicallythink of heaven as God's
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dwelling place, and that'scertainly one heaven that we're
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told about, but there are otheraspects of heaven and it's a
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place of tremendous conflict.
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There is a war in heaventonight, I promise you that.
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I brought you a couple ofpassages of Scripture that
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invite us towards thatimagination.
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One's in the Old Testament, it'sthe book of Daniel, chapter 10.
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Daniel has been praying, and inresponse to his prayers, he has
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an angelic visit.
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The angel says, don't be afraid,Daniel.
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Since the first day that you setyour mind to gain understanding
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and to humble yourself beforeyour God, your words were heard,
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and I have comein response to them.
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Do you know God listens to theprayers of his people?
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That's important to know.
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I've been sent in response toyour prayer.
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Daniel, if you hadn't prayed,I wouldn't be here.
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But because you prayed, I havecome with the message.
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But the prince of the Persiankingdom resisted me 21 days.
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Then Michael, one of the chiefprinces, Michael is an
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archangel, came to help me,because I was detained there
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with the king of Persia.
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Now I have come to explain toyou what will happen to your
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people in the future, for thevision concerns a time yet
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to come.
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The message that the angelbrought to Daniel is that,
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when you began to pray,I was dispatched.
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Angels are heavenly messengers.
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I was dispatched with a messageto you, but I was withheld,
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impeded, held up for threeweeks, 21 days, until I received
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assistance from Michael,the archangel.
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And I have a message for youabout what is still ahead,
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what's yet to come.
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Are you prepared to believe thatthere are spiritual forces that
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impact what's happeningon earth?
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That those spiritual forces areaware of what is ahead of us,
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that our insight and ourunderstanding is limited?
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We have five senses, they'rewonderful gifts, they have
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provided us with an enormousamount of information about the
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world in which we live.
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But they're not adequate toperceive or interact with all of
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God's creation.
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That shouldn't surprise you.
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You know that from your basicscience classes, there's a
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spectrum of light beyond thatwhich you can see.
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There are light waves that arenot visible with the human eye.
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That's why we have all sorts ofnight vision scopes, they're
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able to broaden the spectrumthat enables you to see it.
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There are sounds that that yourhuman ear can't detect.
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Some animals have a far morekeen sense of hearing
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than we do.
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Our senses have limits.
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We can't see a virus without thehelp of an electron microscope.
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Well, in the same way, there arespiritual realities, spiritual
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forces, spiritual personalitiesthat we don't have the sensory
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apparatus to contact with ourfive senses unless God gives us
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a revelation, lets them be mademanifest in this physical world.
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Now, we've been far tooreluctant to embrace,
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intellectually and emotionallywithin the church, the reality
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of spiritual things.
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I read you a portion fromDaniel, let me give you one from
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the book of Revelation.
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Some will say, well, that's OldTestament stuff, but the New
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Testament's different.
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Well, the book of Revelations,the last book of the
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New Testament.
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It says, there waswar in heaven.
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Michael and his angels foughtagainst the dragon,
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and the dragon andhis angels fought back.
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That's about as plain Englishas we could find.
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A war in heaven.
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The angels fighting againstSatan and his angels.
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Now, what I want to submit toyou is that what we are watching
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these days, we see it on theevening news, we watch it on the
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information that we get throughour Internet feeds, it goes
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beyond the shores of our ownnation, internationally, almost
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every day, we get messages fromsomewhere in the world about
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unrest or discord.
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We had some messaging this weekfrom South Africa, some good
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friends there said the violenceis escalating to the point that
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it's difficult to knowwhat to do.
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In Israel, the palace, the GrandMufti of Jerusalem, Palestinian
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authority, the Grand Mufti,the leader of the Muslims
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in Jerusalem, declared a fatwa,an official declaration
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forbidding prayers atthe Al-Aqsa Mosque,
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that's the mosque on the TempleMount in the city of Jerusalem.
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When you see the most celebratedpicture of Jerusalem with the
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gold dome, the Al-Aqsa Mosque isimmediately there next to that
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golden dome.
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And he's made a proclamationforbidding prayers in that
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mosque in response to the peaceaccord between Israel and the
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United Arab Emirates.
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So in response to peace, theysay we won't allow anybody to
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pray anymore.
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If you look further around theglobe, Taiwan and China, I mean,
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the posturing, the tensionsgrowing in that part of the
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world are difficult for us toeven imagine as we sit
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in Tennessee.
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So it's not just what we see inthe city streets of America,
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we see it spreadingaround the world.
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Now what I'm suggesting to youis that all of those physical
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things that we see and hearabout are a reflection of the
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battle in the heavenlies.
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Those concerns don't originatein the earth.
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I understand that there may bepolitical motivations and
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economic contributors and allsorts of factors, but what we
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are watching is the outcome of aspiritual conflict.
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Now, I need you to at least leanforward with me emotionally,
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because if you close that down,the rest of what I've got to say
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is gonna be of little interest.
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If we're not willing to believethat spiritual forces impact our
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lives, then why are we here?
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If we don't believe thatspiritual forces, if we don't
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believe in angels and demons andfallen angels and a hierarchy of
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evil, if we're not willing toaccept those principles, why do
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we come to church?
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And if we do accept that, if wewill accept the presentation of
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Scripture and make room in ourimagination, then it only seems
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logical to me that we begin toformulate a response.
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How do we participate?
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What does that look like for meto take an interested posture
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in that?
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Let me give you one morecomponent.
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The Bible tells us that Satan isthe ruler of a kingdom.
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Jesus said that his father hadconferred upon him a kingdom.
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Did you know that Satan is theruler of a kingdom?
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In Ephesians chapter 2, in verse2, it says, in which you used to
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live when you followed the waysof this world and the ruler of
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the kingdom of the air, thespirit who is now at work in
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those who are disobedient.
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The ruler of the kingdomof the air.
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Satan is not boundby it in hell.
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He's not limited to theheaven of God's throne.
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The Bible tells us that he's theruler of the kingdom of the air,
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that he has access to what'shappening in the earth.
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The Bible describes for usfallen angels, a third of the
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angels that rebelled with Satanand lost their place in heaven.
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We're told of some subset ofangels that are bound in
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darkness, awaiting God'sultimate judgment.
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Most of those fallen angelsaren't bound in chains.
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The Bible describesdemons for us.
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It doesn't really tell us theorigin of demons, it doesn't
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seem to me, my personal opinion,that the demons are
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fallen angels.
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The Bible doesn't reallytell us of their origin.
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And if the Bible doesn't tellus, I assume that we don't have
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a need to know.
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But Jesus dealt with themroutinely and regularly, it's
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not just some fanciful notionfrom antiquity, they were very
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much a part of Jesus's lifeand ministry.
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In fact, in Luke chapter 10,in verse 18, Jesus said,
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I saw Satan fall like lightningfrom heaven.
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Jesus believed in the devil.
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Go out on a limb, if Jesusbelieved in the devil, maybe you
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and I should make room.
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I know it isn't fashionable.
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Well, you believe in a devil.
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Yeah, I believe in gravity, too,but I can't see it.
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And I've sat in some physicsclasses where they tried to
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explain it to me, I've seenthe effect of it, that's
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another conversation.
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But I believe in the devil.
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People say, well, you know,I just don't believe in that,
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you know, I just--I'm just notcomfortable with
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that discussion.
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I just think, I just--I justdon't believe in that.
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Well, I appreciate that.
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And if not believing somethingwould eliminate any risk in your
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life, we'd just all jointogether and say we don't
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believe in the coronavirus.
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male announcer: Through prayer,we are not alone in facing
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challenges or problems, we havehelp from Almighty God.
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Be encouraged to take yourprayers boldly before the throne
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of grace with Pastor Allen'sdevotional book,
00:10:46.304 --> 00:10:48.406
"Let's Pray: 30 Days of Prayer,"
00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:50.608
which you will receivewhen you give today.
00:10:50.642 --> 00:10:52.977
In the time it takes you to haveyour morning cup of coffee each
00:10:53.011 --> 00:10:55.447
day, a new response to lifecan take root.
00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:58.149
When you donate $25 or more, youwill also receive the Let's Pray
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coffee mug, a morning reminderas you start a new daily routine
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with the Lord.
00:11:05.223 --> 00:11:06.524
So request yours todayby calling...
00:11:06.558 --> 00:11:10.095
Or go to AllenJackson.com toreceive this Let's Pray gift set
00:11:10.128 --> 00:11:13.531
as a thank you for your donationof $25 or more.
00:11:13.565 --> 00:11:16.601
And thank you for supportingAllen Jackson Ministries,
00:11:16.634 --> 00:11:19.504
together we are making adifference.
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Pastor Allen Jackson: I thinkour lives will be in a better
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place if we'll accept thecounsel of Scripture.
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In fact, it's pretty clear, inEphesians chapter 6, that we've
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been sent on an assignment toengage this kingdom of evil.
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Ephesians 6 in verse 11, many ofyou know the verse, it says, put
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on the full armor of God so thatyou can take your stand against
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the devil's schemes.
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Our struggle isn't against fleshand blood, but against the
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rulers, against the authorities,against the powers of this dark
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world and against the spiritualforces of evil in the
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heavenly realms.
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It says that you and I areengaged in a struggle with
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spiritual forces of evil in theheavenly realms.
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Now, if we're engaged in astruggle, first of all, it would
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be helpful to acknowledge it.
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Secondly, it would be helpful tounderstand something about the
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terms of engagement, whateverweapons or strengths or help is
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available to us.
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It would be helpful to know somethings about the plans, the
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schemes, the intent, the methodof operation of our adversary.
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Perhaps the most definingcharacteristics is the struggle
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isn't with flesh and blood.
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Now, it typically presents inthe context of flesh and blood.
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Most of the struggles in ourlives have a name attached to
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them, of an individual, of anorganization, of some group of
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people, or something.
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The delivery system for most ofthose spiritual tacks has flesh
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and blood, has an earth suit.
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To have authority in this worldyou need an earth suit.
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God put that plan in place.
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But the real struggle of ourlives, the violence in our
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streets, the struggle for ourschools to open, and to be able
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to safely stay together for ourbusinesses, and our churches to
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find their way back, for us tofind our way through this
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season, we need a spiritualbreakthrough.
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It's not surprising to me thatthere's tremendous pressure for
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the churches to be closed.
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If I was responsible fororchestrating the activity of
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evil and I didn't want there tobe any challenges to what I was
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doing, I'd do everything I couldto silence anyone, anywhere that
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would speak the truth.
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To do everything I could tofacilitate deception, whether I
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used arrogance, or wealth, orthe distraction of pleasure, or
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whatever it might be.
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We are in a struggle, the rootof which is not physical.
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Now, it's being played out inthe physical world.
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That shouldn't be too surprisingto us at this point.
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Now, I wanna link it to an ideathat carries an assignment
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with it.
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For decades, it seems to me--I've spent most of my life
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engaged with the church in oneway or another, and so I'm at
00:14:11.276 --> 00:14:15.980
least entitled to an opinion.
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It's not just a random opinion,it's informed.
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And it seems to me that, fordecades, we have gathered
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together and we havestudied Christianity.
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In fact, I think we majoron Bible study.
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How many of you everparticipated in a Bible study?
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Almost unanimous.
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If you've been online, maybe youtell me one of the things you've
00:14:38.002 --> 00:14:39.871
studied in the last year or two.
00:14:39.904 --> 00:14:41.306
I mean, we are studiersof the first degree.
00:14:41.339 --> 00:14:46.110
We will get together,we'll organize,
00:14:46.144 --> 00:14:49.180
we're all in on studies.
00:14:49.213 --> 00:14:50.548
And I'm not opposed to that,I like to learn.
00:14:50.581 --> 00:14:53.284
But I would submit to you that,in this season we have entered,
00:14:53.318 --> 00:14:58.189
we're gonna have to consideraccepting our commission
00:14:58.222 --> 00:15:00.758
as ambassadors.
00:15:00.792 --> 00:15:03.928
And that's an entirely differentposture than being a student.
00:15:03.962 --> 00:15:08.700
What's the difference?
00:15:08.733 --> 00:15:10.702
I'm glad you asked, 'cause Iwrote it into my outline.
00:15:10.735 --> 00:15:15.540
Students gather information.
00:15:15.573 --> 00:15:19.077
Students work in laboratoriestesting theories.
00:15:19.110 --> 00:15:22.480
Students review reports on theexperiences of others.
00:15:22.513 --> 00:15:27.318
Students debate possiblemethodologies and try to decide
00:15:27.352 --> 00:15:30.621
what they would implement,what path they would take,
00:15:30.655 --> 00:15:32.790
if they ever decided to engage.
00:15:32.824 --> 00:15:35.793
But at the moment,they're in the safety
00:15:35.827 --> 00:15:37.395
of a classroom setting.
00:15:37.428 --> 00:15:40.798
Their outcomes are determinedon a test, not in the real-life
00:15:40.832 --> 00:15:45.036
incubator of reality.
00:15:45.069 --> 00:15:48.272
Ambassadors, on the other hand,are sovereign representatives of
00:15:48.306 --> 00:15:51.309
a nation.
00:15:51.342 --> 00:15:53.011
They're deployed to establishoutposts of authority beyond
00:15:53.044 --> 00:15:57.115
the borders of thatsovereign nation.
00:15:57.148 --> 00:16:00.551
They're on the frontier.
00:16:00.585 --> 00:16:04.555
While the embassy itself may bethe sovereign territory of the
00:16:04.589 --> 00:16:08.493
nation that they represent,those embassies are planted in
00:16:08.526 --> 00:16:11.929
foreign places.
00:16:11.963 --> 00:16:14.232
It's understood to be surroundedin places with different
00:16:14.265 --> 00:16:17.135
cultures and different customsand different values and
00:16:17.168 --> 00:16:19.737
different languages.
00:16:19.771 --> 00:16:21.639
Ambassadors extend the valuesand protect the interests of the
00:16:21.672 --> 00:16:25.576
citizens they represent.
00:16:25.610 --> 00:16:29.380
We can no longer afford simplyto be students of our faith.
00:16:29.414 --> 00:16:35.019
I would submit to you that it'smandatory with what's ahead of
00:16:35.053 --> 00:16:38.523
us that we make a commitment tobecoming ambassadors.
00:16:38.556 --> 00:16:43.661
Now we have heavenly support.
00:16:43.694 --> 00:16:48.599
We had an embassy in Libya.
00:16:48.633 --> 00:16:51.369
You know what,it was in Benghazi.
00:16:51.402 --> 00:16:55.239
And when it was under attack,it didn't get the best support,
00:16:55.273 --> 00:16:59.043
and it's a tragedy that'scaptured our nation's attention
00:16:59.077 --> 00:17:01.612
for a long time.
00:17:01.646 --> 00:17:04.582
I have visited, on morethan one occasion,
00:17:04.615 --> 00:17:07.885
the embassy in Jerusalem.
00:17:07.919 --> 00:17:10.688
There's tremendous securityin that place.
00:17:10.721 --> 00:17:14.192
In fact, if you try to take apicture, they'll stop you,
00:17:14.225 --> 00:17:16.627
they'll confiscate your camera.
00:17:16.661 --> 00:17:17.962
If more than two or three of yougather, they'll come out and
00:17:17.995 --> 00:17:20.331
shoo you away.
00:17:20.364 --> 00:17:22.400
You try to park your vehicleanywhere near it, they'll come
00:17:22.433 --> 00:17:24.735
and tell you you have to keepmoving.
00:17:24.769 --> 00:17:27.438
There's a great deal ofattentiveness and watchfulness,
00:17:27.472 --> 00:17:29.474
there's an awareness that therecould be some hostile attitudes
00:17:29.507 --> 00:17:33.244
towards what's being representedin that embassy.
00:17:33.277 --> 00:17:37.415
So when I tell you that we'vebeen called to be ambassadors,
00:17:37.448 --> 00:17:39.350
I'm not simply saying you'regonna get to fly a flag on the
00:17:39.383 --> 00:17:43.821
car you drive through thestreets, and you're gonna get to
00:17:43.855 --> 00:17:46.124
go to some rather elaboratedinners.
00:17:46.157 --> 00:17:49.760
I'm suggesting that with it it'sinevitable that there's gonna be
00:17:49.794 --> 00:17:53.631
some pushback.
00:17:53.664 --> 00:17:56.801
Again, the transition fromstudent to ambassador is
00:17:56.834 --> 00:18:00.104
a significant shift in yourimagination and mine.
00:18:00.138 --> 00:18:04.675
I think we've imagined otherpeople did that.
00:18:04.709 --> 00:18:07.612
People with a differentkind of commitment,
00:18:07.645 --> 00:18:09.080
a different kind of assignment,they bore a different title.
00:18:09.113 --> 00:18:12.150
After all, I just attend churchI'm a good person I pray the
00:18:12.183 --> 00:18:15.953
Sinner's Prayer, I've beendipped in a pool, I'm in, I'm a
00:18:15.987 --> 00:18:19.657
Christian, I self-identify as aChrist follower, and my primary
00:18:19.690 --> 00:18:23.628
way of giving evidenceof that is I study.
00:18:23.661 --> 00:18:27.899
I sit in church, I take notes,I've collected outlines, I have
00:18:27.932 --> 00:18:30.401
notebooks filled with outlines,I've a shelf with the books that
00:18:30.434 --> 00:18:34.572
I've read and the studies I'veparticipated in.
00:18:34.605 --> 00:18:37.108
In fact, I'll be happy to enterinto a debate, we'll debate over
00:18:37.141 --> 00:18:39.844
the 12 tribes, or how you spellIsaiah's middle name.
00:18:39.877 --> 00:18:45.216
I'm a student.
00:18:45.249 --> 00:18:48.219
But if we talk about thepractice of our faith, the
00:18:48.252 --> 00:18:52.557
display of the power of God, ourcomfort level with engaging in
00:18:52.590 --> 00:18:57.862
spiritual things, I find we'refar more reluctant.
00:18:57.895 --> 00:19:01.899
Well, Pastor, you know,I don't know if I believe
00:19:01.933 --> 00:19:05.937
that way or not.
00:19:05.970 --> 00:19:08.839
Well, I'm suggesting to you it'snot a matter whether you believe
00:19:08.873 --> 00:19:11.742
that way or not, it's a matterof whether you accept what the
00:19:11.776 --> 00:19:14.145
Scripture says to us.
00:19:14.178 --> 00:19:15.479
2 Corinthians chapter 5, inverse 17, it says, if anyone is
00:19:15.513 --> 00:19:19.083
in Christ, he's a new creation,the old has gone, the new
00:19:19.116 --> 00:19:23.087
is come!
00:19:23.120 --> 00:19:25.489
All this is from God, whoreconciled us to himself
00:19:25.523 --> 00:19:28.793
through Christ.
00:19:28.826 --> 00:19:30.328
Now, that's what God has donefor us in Christ, we've been
00:19:30.361 --> 00:19:33.331
reconciled to God.
00:19:33.364 --> 00:19:35.233
We've been made a new creation.
00:19:35.266 --> 00:19:37.668
I look a lot like that oldscoundrel, Allen, but the truth
00:19:37.702 --> 00:19:41.205
is, from the inside out, I'vebeen made new.
00:19:41.239 --> 00:19:45.042
I've got a new future, I've gota new inheritance, I'm a
00:19:45.076 --> 00:19:48.679
completely different creation.
00:19:48.713 --> 00:19:50.481
God, I've been reconciled to thecreator of heaven and earth.
00:19:50.514 --> 00:19:54.819
But then there's a series ofstatements that hand some
00:19:54.852 --> 00:19:57.255
assignment back to us.
00:19:57.288 --> 00:19:59.357
God reconciled us to himselfthrough Christ and he gave us
00:19:59.390 --> 00:20:03.928
the ministry of reconciliation.
00:20:03.961 --> 00:20:07.365
So, you know, if I just knewwhat my ministry was, you have a
00:20:07.398 --> 00:20:09.834
ministry of reconciliation.
00:20:09.867 --> 00:20:12.536
That God was reconciling theworld to himself in Christ, not
00:20:12.570 --> 00:20:16.374
counting men's sinsagainst them.
00:20:16.407 --> 00:20:19.010
And he has committed to us themessage of reconciliation.
00:20:19.043 --> 00:20:24.515
Who's gonna deliverthat message?
00:20:24.548 --> 00:20:25.883
It doesn't say pastors orevangelists or missionaries
00:20:25.916 --> 00:20:29.320
or denominational executivesor university professors.
00:20:29.353 --> 00:20:34.258
If you're a new creation inChrist, God is committed to you
00:20:34.292 --> 00:20:37.595
the message of reconciliation.
00:20:37.628 --> 00:20:39.563
Verse 20, we are thereforeChrist's ambassadors, as though
00:20:39.597 --> 00:20:44.368
God were making his appealthrough us.
00:20:44.402 --> 00:20:48.706
We implore you on Christ'sbehalf, be reconciled to God,
00:20:48.739 --> 00:20:53.544
Christ's ambassadors, as thoughGod were making his appeal
00:20:53.577 --> 00:20:58.549
through us.
00:20:58.582 --> 00:21:00.851
Now, we're fortunate, there aremany good churches where we
00:21:00.885 --> 00:21:02.987
live, what a wonderful heritage.
00:21:03.020 --> 00:21:05.990
But, for a moment, let's justpretend they weren't here, and
00:21:06.023 --> 00:21:09.026
the assignment's ours.
00:21:09.060 --> 00:21:10.928
Let's not hand it offto somebody else.
00:21:10.961 --> 00:21:13.297
It's not about prideor arrogance.
00:21:13.331 --> 00:21:14.632
We don't imagine we're the onlyone, or unique, that we're
00:21:14.665 --> 00:21:17.001
the better or the best,or somehow superior.
00:21:17.034 --> 00:21:19.670
But so we don't just avoid ourresponsibility, let's imagine
00:21:19.704 --> 00:21:23.974
that the appeal to be reconciledto God in our region was gonna
00:21:24.008 --> 00:21:27.678
come through us, and we took itseriously.
00:21:27.712 --> 00:21:33.050
We acted as if God meant that.
00:21:33.084 --> 00:21:36.153
What would we do?
00:21:36.187 --> 00:21:40.157
Well, at some point, we're goingto have to break the holy huddle
00:21:40.191 --> 00:21:43.260
and stop just having a study.
00:21:43.294 --> 00:21:49.300
What would it look like for usto respond to that?
00:21:50.334 --> 00:21:53.371
Where do I begin?
00:21:53.404 --> 00:21:54.739
Well, again, I'm glad you asked,'cause I wrote it into
00:21:54.772 --> 00:21:57.408
my outline.
00:21:57.441 --> 00:22:00.077
We're gonna talk about this onsome level throughout this week,
00:22:00.111 --> 00:22:03.748
but tonight I want to suggest acouple of things to put into
00:22:03.781 --> 00:22:06.283
your daily routine that willhelp you gain momentum as
00:22:06.317 --> 00:22:09.920
an ambassador.
00:22:09.954 --> 00:22:11.255
Are you interested?
00:22:11.288 --> 00:22:13.224
I think you'd be pretty excitedif you got home tonight and you
00:22:13.257 --> 00:22:15.326
got a call from the White Housethat says, you've been appointed
00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:17.461
an ambassador on behalf of theUnited States of America to some
00:22:17.495 --> 00:22:21.232
other nation.
00:22:21.265 --> 00:22:22.566
That would be good news, you'dprobably share that.
00:22:22.600 --> 00:22:23.934
I bet some of you would evenpost it in the social media.
00:22:23.968 --> 00:22:27.171
Well, I have better news, you'vebeen appointed an ambassador by
00:22:27.204 --> 00:22:29.940
the King of Kings and the Lordof Lords to represent his
00:22:29.974 --> 00:22:32.476
eternal kingdomin this generation.
00:22:32.510 --> 00:22:35.646
[congregation applauding]
00:22:35.679 --> 00:22:37.782
Now, here's what sobers mearound that.
00:22:37.815 --> 00:22:39.583
If I've been given theappointment, I know enough about
00:22:39.617 --> 00:22:42.520
the Lord to know there's gonnabe some accountability expected.
00:22:42.553 --> 00:22:46.490
So what do we do?
00:22:46.524 --> 00:22:49.827
Well, I would submit it begins,a foundational component is
00:22:49.860 --> 00:22:53.731
simply a systematic reading ofyour Bible.
00:22:53.764 --> 00:22:57.735
On a daily basis.
00:22:57.768 --> 00:22:59.670
I don't mean just randomattempts to find a promise, but
00:22:59.703 --> 00:23:03.307
a systematic, committed effort.
00:23:03.340 --> 00:23:04.909
Now, there's a lot of differentways to do that, I'm not gonna
00:23:04.942 --> 00:23:06.944
suggest there's a singular way,but I am going to suggest that
00:23:06.977 --> 00:23:11.148
you want to cultivate the habit,on a daily basis, of spending
00:23:11.182 --> 00:23:14.552
time systematically unpackingyour Bible.
00:23:14.585 --> 00:23:17.721
You won't understand everythingyou read.
00:23:17.755 --> 00:23:21.025
I don't understand everything Iread if I read a newspaper.
00:23:21.058 --> 00:23:24.962
I certainly don't understandeverything I read if I read
00:23:24.995 --> 00:23:26.831
something online.
00:23:26.864 --> 00:23:28.532
Even Rabbi Google can't alwaysanswer all the questions.
00:23:28.566 --> 00:23:32.369
Don't bear the weight of beingable to pronounce every name
00:23:32.403 --> 00:23:34.939
correctly, or understanding thelocation of every city on the
00:23:34.972 --> 00:23:37.441
map, but begin to systematicallyinvest effort and thought in
00:23:37.475 --> 00:23:41.745
reading your Bible.
00:23:41.779 --> 00:23:43.080
Don't just read it to checka box, read it with the
00:23:43.113 --> 00:23:45.950
expectation of understandingwhat you're reading.
00:23:45.983 --> 00:23:48.052
If there's a word you don'tknow, look it up.
00:23:48.085 --> 00:23:51.155
Which is the best translation?
00:23:51.188 --> 00:23:53.691
Should I read theNew International?
00:23:53.724 --> 00:23:55.059
The New American Standard?
00:23:55.092 --> 00:23:56.393
Should I read The Message?
00:23:56.427 --> 00:23:57.761
Should I read the King James orthe New King James?
00:23:57.795 --> 00:23:59.330
The New English version?
00:23:59.363 --> 00:24:01.131
Which translation should I read?
00:24:01.165 --> 00:24:02.466
I'll tell you the besttranslation.
00:24:02.500 --> 00:24:03.834
Would you like to know?
00:24:03.868 --> 00:24:07.037
The one you read.
00:24:07.071 --> 00:24:09.607
♪♪♪
00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:12.843
Pastor Allen Jackson: Hey,before we go, I want to say
00:24:14.078 --> 00:24:15.579
a prayer with you.
00:24:15.613 --> 00:24:16.914
I don't think we understand thetremendous value and impact of
00:24:16.947 --> 00:24:20.317
our prayers.
00:24:20.351 --> 00:24:21.652
God sent the prophet Isaiah toKing Hezekiah and said, because
00:24:21.685 --> 00:24:24.655
you prayed, I'm going to healyou, I'm gonna extend your life.
00:24:24.688 --> 00:24:27.958
If Hezekiah hadn't prayed, hislife would've been
00:24:27.992 --> 00:24:30.194
terminated earlier.
00:24:30.227 --> 00:24:31.529
Your prayers, my prayers, theymake a difference.
00:24:31.562 --> 00:24:34.198
You know, there's no magicformula, you don't have to use
00:24:34.231 --> 00:24:36.467
the right word or the right toneof voice.
00:24:36.500 --> 00:24:38.669
We have to make the effort toopen our hearts and our voices
00:24:38.702 --> 00:24:42.306
and talk to the Lord and listento what he has to say for us.
00:24:42.339 --> 00:24:45.509
I want to pray with youbefore I go.
00:24:45.543 --> 00:24:47.678
Father, I thank you for everyperson, their life or no detail
00:24:47.711 --> 00:24:51.081
is hidden from you.
00:24:51.115 --> 00:24:52.416
Our lives are open to you.
00:24:52.449 --> 00:24:53.751
I pray that you'll give us aboldness to talk to you and to
00:24:53.784 --> 00:24:56.287
one another.
00:24:56.320 --> 00:24:57.621
Give us a spirit of prayer.
00:24:57.655 --> 00:24:58.989
In Jesus's name, amen.
00:24:59.023 --> 00:25:01.258
God bless you.
00:25:01.292 --> 00:25:04.194
male announcer: Through prayer,we are not alone in facing
00:25:04.228 --> 00:25:06.363
challenges or problems, we havehelp from Almighty God.
00:25:06.397 --> 00:25:09.700
Be encouraged to take yourprayers boldly before the throne
00:25:09.733 --> 00:25:12.303
of grace with Pastor Allen'sdevotional book, "Let's Pray: 30
00:25:12.336 --> 00:25:15.839
Days of Prayer," which you willreceive when you give today.
00:25:15.873 --> 00:25:18.976
In the time it takes you to haveyour morning cup of coffee each
00:25:19.009 --> 00:25:21.445
day, a new response to life cantake root.
00:25:21.478 --> 00:25:24.148
When you donate $25 or more, youwill also receive the Let's Pray
00:25:24.181 --> 00:25:27.651
coffee mug, a morning reminderas you start a new daily routine
00:25:27.685 --> 00:25:31.188
with the Lord.
00:25:31.221 --> 00:25:32.523
So request yours todayby calling...
00:25:32.556 --> 00:25:36.093
Or go to AllenJackson.com toreceive this Let's Pray gift set
00:25:36.126 --> 00:25:39.530
as a thank you for your donationof $25 or more.
00:25:39.563 --> 00:25:42.566
And thank you for supportingAllen Jackson Ministries,
00:25:42.600 --> 00:25:45.469
together we are makinga difference.
00:25:45.502 --> 00:25:49.039
Pastor Allen Jackson: So whenI talk about prayer, see,
00:25:49.073 --> 00:25:51.175
I think most of us are educatedto think prayer is what we do
00:25:51.208 --> 00:25:53.877
in a formal religious serviceat a point of transition.
00:25:53.911 --> 00:25:56.413
We're about done he's praying,we're gonna receive
00:25:56.447 --> 00:26:01.752
the offering, he'sgetting ready to pray.
00:26:01.785 --> 00:26:04.588
And we learn how to berespectful of prayer.
00:26:04.622 --> 00:26:06.457
When someone's praying, we stopmoving, we'll bow our head,
00:26:06.490 --> 00:26:09.526
we'll close our eyes, we'll stoptalking to one another.
00:26:09.560 --> 00:26:13.130
I appreciate the respect we'velearned around prayer, I'm
00:26:13.163 --> 00:26:15.899
suggesting now we're gonna haveto become a bit more aware of
00:26:15.933 --> 00:26:19.737
the different ways to pray, andhow to pray more effectively.
00:26:19.770 --> 00:26:23.607
Because if you're on anambassadorial assignment,
00:26:23.641 --> 00:26:26.210
you're gonna need a tool kitthat is more robust
00:26:26.243 --> 00:26:29.647
than how to bless the food.
00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:32.683
male announcer: Join us everyweek for another exciting
00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:37.154
message from PastorAllen Jackson.
00:26:37.187 --> 00:26:39.356
And until then, visit us onlineand discover remarkable
00:26:39.390 --> 00:26:42.893
information and resources tohelp take your Christian life
00:26:42.926 --> 00:26:46.497
to the next level.
00:26:46.530 --> 00:26:47.898
And when you visit online,consider joining our effort to
00:26:47.931 --> 00:26:50.601
continue sending this powerfuland challenging message around
00:26:50.634 --> 00:26:53.904
the globe.
00:26:53.937 --> 00:26:55.239
We want to share this programworldwide, but we can only do it
00:26:55.272 --> 00:26:58.475
with your help.
00:26:58.509 --> 00:26:59.810
So consider partnering with ustoday.
00:26:59.843 --> 00:27:02.212
And if you're visiting theNashville area, we'd love to see
00:27:02.246 --> 00:27:04.982
you at World Outreach Churchin Murfreesboro.
00:27:05.015 --> 00:27:07.751
We're easy to find, so look usup when you're
00:27:07.785 --> 00:27:09.586
traveling through.
00:27:09.620 --> 00:27:10.954
And don't forget to connect withPastor Jackson every day through
00:27:10.988 --> 00:27:13.524
social media.
00:27:13.557 --> 00:27:15.392
Thanks so much for joining usand being a part of
00:27:15.426 --> 00:27:17.561
this ministry.
00:27:17.594 --> 00:27:18.929
We'll see you again next timefor another encounter with
00:27:18.962 --> 00:27:20.998
Pastor Allen Jackson.
00:27:21.031 --> 00:27:23.200
♪♪♪
00:27:23.233 --> 00:27:28.939

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Let's Pray Part 1

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Let's Pray Part 1

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