When Jesus Calls | Sunday Message (Special Guest Jonathan Laurie)

Hey there Victor, listening to the Greg Laurie part just a ministry supported by harvest partners on Greg Laurie encouraging you if you want to find out more about harvest ministries. To learn more about how to become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org everybody I'm Jonathan Lori and together we are going to be looking at acts chapter 9 and I just want to wish all of you that are watching right now, a very happy new year and New Year's are awesome right I do.

I love the new year.

It's kind of a blank slate. You don't know what to expect. Were excited to see all the God has in store for us here at harvest in our ministry, but also for you at home and I really do believe there's something special about a new year.

It's a new opportunity to start our reading plan even meaning to get around to to maybe join that small group to start that new healthy way of eating or whatever it might be.

I think there's a good opportunity in the beginning part of the year. As we look forward to seeing what this years can be all about and so right now were to talk about the book of acts, and really you want talk about the beginning of something. The book of acts really chronicles the launch of the first century church and and what the Holy Spirit did in and through the disciples and the apostles and it's an absolute amazing book on excited to continue it with you know growing up when I was a little kid, I loved to swim.

Swimming is one my favorite things to do. I still love swimming still of being in the water.

I do love pools as much. Something about the chlorine I'm really care for people say they have saltwater no filters all the stuff I just don't really like pools all that much.

I like being in the ocean little bit more but when I was a kid, I loved to swim. I love to try and you know be as hydrodynamic as I could under the water and no trying kick like a sealer like adults, then to just try Beas food as I couldn't swim from one side of the pool to the other and I loved being in the pool all the time. Today is I'm in the ocean more often. I usually have to put a wet suit on and I gotta tell you over the years I've pretty much collected every kind of wetsuit you could ever need in this life.

The people in Hawaii are like and that's why I live in Hawaii.

We don't have to worry what sincere I want to what's it and why book by the way does get cold there, especially in the morning with the wind chill can be chilly, but I got every kind of wetsuit you can eat. I got Springs Susie, no short arm, long leg, long legs, short arm, I've got full suits.

I got three mill I got five mill with hoods. I got booties I got gloves everything that you could possibly need to stay in the water for as long as you would need to but I I didn't need those as a kid because I spend most my time in swimming pools and it was an absolute blast.

One of the things I like to do was hold my breath swim side to side and one day I was with my parents were sitting by the side of the pool and I jumped and I decided you know I was gonna do some somersaults feel some front flip some back flips just in the water. I'm doing a couple front flips. I thought you know what it be fun to see how many could I do in succession without stopping and so I thought this is a good little challenge. So I started going you don't want front flip to 3456 made all the way up to seven. At this point I'm like okay about ready to breathe. I'm pretty content that's a new record for me and something happened as I had been spinning my equilibrium got off and what happened now was. I began to swim up towards the surface. Something really unusual happened. My head hit a wall. I ran right into the concrete. I was swimming up towards the surface where I needed to get arrows now starting to get a little panic in my head just goes grand right into something that was so solid I could've sworn somebody had taken some kind of pool covering your something and place it over the top of my head to some kind of joke I got really scared and started going and going hitting my head. I was trying to break through this thing trying to get to the surface to that much needed oxygen.

But what happened was in the that the spit the spinning.

I had gotten a little dizzy and I was swimming the wrong direction and so finally, my equilibrium corrected itself. I realized what was happening so I flip over.

I pushed off the bottom and I swim to the surface and I take that deep breath of air.

My parents were completely oblivious as to what it just happened. Man, I was a little scary. My world had gotten turned upside down. I was convinced, absolutely convinced I was swimming the right way. I was swimming down into literally the bottom of the pool, thinking that it was the surface looking at it, seeing the surface in a kind even breaking the tension, thinking that it it was where I needed to go and I was hitting my head over and over and over.

You're like, I can tell you you've had some kind of head trauma. Jonathan but it was a really scary thing. My world was turned upside down. I don't need to tell you what would've happened had I not realized which way was actually up. Many people today they call the Christian life. The upside down life they call upside down, living, and we called this series upside down life because in acts chapter 17 Paul the apostle and his ministry partner Silas were preaching in a place called Thessalonica and is there preaching there as you per usual riot broke out some of the people got jealous they got upset at the message that Paul and Silas were preaching and arrived it broke out and the thing that they were charged with a they were looking for Paul and Silas trying to drag them out, they can find them so they found one of their other initially companions a guy by the name Jason. They bring him out, and the charge they leveled against him was these who have turned the world upside down have now come here to these men who have turned the world upside down other reality is Paul and Silas weren't turning the world upside down. They return the world right side up.

Wednesday but when you live your life according to the status quo. These men and Thessalonica were when you live your life going with the grain going with the flow listening to what culture tells you to do and following it. When you are getting angry at the things that they tell you to get angry at when you desire the things culture tells you to desire. When you pursue the things the culture tells you to pursue. That is the equivalent of trying to find air at the bottom of a swimming pool trying to find fulfillment trying to find peace, trying to find purpose outside of a relationship with God will leave you empty. Paul and Silas came to preach the gospel and to tell them about Jesus who came and lived in this world live the perfect life, died the perfect death and then rose again from the dead.

There preaching the gospel to these men and these men and Thessalonica got a right when they said Paul's message was turning the world upside down. What they failed to understand again, was that their message was actually turning people right side. The gospel message that Paul preached was the equivalent of bringing oxygen down to an asphyxiating world over 2000 years later we are here today and that message is still turning people's world upside down.

Sometimes we miss out on this concept we miss out on the fact that our world needs to be turned upside down. The logic of this world is not God's logic. The way to up is not always the way we think. That is, we think that you know usually happiness and fulfillment happen by having others serve us. For starters, we think that having people going way on our every need people trying to check in with us and give us all the things that we might need to make us happy.

We think that looking out for our own priorities first is to make us happy. We think that holding on tightly to all of our possessions is gonna make us happy. We think even asking God. God, what can you do for me that's the way to happiness. Will the secret to Christian living is completely contrary. It's upside down, living the way to up is down, the way to be rich is to give away the way to happiness is serving others in the way to happiness is not so fulfillment itself.

Denial Jesus said all who seek to live apart for me will lose it all, but those who let go of their lives for my sake and surrendered all to me will discover true life putting God's will.

First in your life, and pursuing that will lead you to the purpose and joy that you have been looking for in this life. That is why it's called the upside down life because of its radical approach to how we live our lives and who we model our lives after I think that we can all agree here together the perhaps the most surprising and abrupt world being flipped upside down type conversion and all of the Bible would be that of Saul of Tarsus. Saul was a Pharisee. He was a religious leader. He was a voting member of the Sanhedrin of violent opponents. Anyone who followed the teachings of Jesus.

He had one purpose in life and that was to stamp out what he believed this Nazarene heretic Jesus. He believed that Jesus was a heretic that he was leading people astray and Saul did everything in his power to stop. He was actually given approval from the chief priests in Jerusalem to go after the Christians and you any means necessary to stop the Christians. That means he used intimidation Saul used violence.

Saul used imprisonment and Saul even was able to use death is a discouragement to anyone who would follow after Jesus while Saul was on his way to do this very act in Damascus. A light from heaven shone down upon him as he was on the road and a voice began to speak to him, Saul, why are you persecuting me the voice said Saul confused, bewildered as to what was happening said who are you, Lord, please don't say Jesus, please don't say Jesus and the voice said, I am Jesus, the one who you are persecuting. No get up and go to Damascus and I'll tell you what to do from there.

An amazing amazing encounter with the resurrected Jesus from this man.

Saul's perspective.

When Saul stood to his feet. After having this conversation he opens up his eyes on what is he discover he's blind, he's blind, he can't see anything had to be led by the hand back to Damascus by his companions and subtle brief little recap of what we last read together in our series and asked my dad talked about the conversion of Saul as well as Steven and now were gonna pick up right where that left off in acts chapter 9 starting in verse 10. If you like to be there with me says this now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias and the Lord spoke to him in a vision calling Ananias yes Lord, he replied.

The Lord said, go over to straight Street. The house of Judas when you get there. Ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul.

He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again but Lord, explained Ananias. I've heard many people talk about the terrible things this man is down to the believers in Jerusalem and he is authorized by the leading priest to arrest everyone calls upon your name, but the Lord said go for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and kings as well as to the people of Israel now show him how much he must suffer for my namesake. So Ananias went and found Saul he laid his hands on him and he said brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road has sent me, so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he regained his sight, and then he got up and was baptized. Afterward, he stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days.

I titled this message when Jesus calls, let's put ourselves in Ananias shoes for for just a moment. He is just been asked by Jesus to go do something very uncomfortable in his own way. Ananias had his world turned upside down.

He was a good man. He had a good reputation among the people that he lived around in Damascus and we also know that Ananias was well aware of Saul of Tarsus and his reputation and also his mission. He even knew that he was given authority to come to Damascus and don't persecute the Christians that the chief priest gave him this permission he gave him this transcript to go and do this so here's Ananias he's been called by Jesus himself to go lay hands on Saul of Tarsus, the great persecutor of the church, just that name Saul of Tarsus was enough to bring fear and anxiety to anybody who is a follower of Jesus and Ananias he heard through the grapevine again. What was gonna be happening. Saul was coming around. He was getting all persecute Christians he had that reputation. This would've been one of the last people that he would want to go lay hands on and pray for and minister to this would be like a Jewish person being asked in 1940s to go and lay hands on Adolf Hitler, no thank you Lord. Actually, would you mind sending this guy to hell and just killing him but no Ananias.

He doesn't go in and and tell Jesus know I'm talking to do that, but he does do something kinda interesting.

Ananias feels like he maybe needs to fill Jesus in on a little context of the situation. He says Jesus Lord you know that this is the guy who's persecuting the church.

Your your followers you're aware of this right and you know he's also coming here to persecute and arrest us right now right you're aware of this.

Okay. Just want to make sure. Maybe Ananias thought that Saul had pulled the wool somehow over Jesus eyes and this was some kind of ambush.

Who knows. But Jesus insists don't argue just go. I love that he just tells him go and do it. I know what I'm doing.

I know what this man Saul is all about. I'm well aware, but I'm doing something special in Ananias I want you to go and do it.

Matthew 18, three Jesus says, I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. The more time I spend with my kids.

The more I see what Jesus meant in that verse. It was adult when we hear something from the Lord. We read something in her quiet time were studying Scripture, and we see something that maybe challenges our way of thinking or challenges in area in our life were saying, Lord, are you telling me I need to change. Are you telling me this is an area of my life that perhaps it's in is not really the case were kind of like Ananias sometimes is that really what you meant Lord, are you sure you know what you're talking about was that message really for me. You don't mean that I need to get that area of my life. Do I Lord you realize if I if I stop doing this.

This can affect my professional career.

This could really hurt me in this way I could lose money doing that having to give this thing up. Listen, we've all got hangups we've all got defenses that we have to work breaking down recently. My little daughter Allie. She's 11 years old she's in fifth grade.

She told me about how she shared her faith with the little boy her school little boy was from China and she said he's a he's a sweet kid.

He helps out in the class a lot and so they were talking one day at the lunch tables and Allie asked him are you religious do you believe in anything you go to church or anything like that of the little boy said no, no, actually were not. We don't do that we don't even celebrate Christmas and Dell were not religious at all. Actually, in any asked or are you now I said while I'm a Christian and I believe in Jesus and I believe in all the things that he came and did for me and the little boy said oh wow okay. My dad sometimes says Jesus Christ, but only when he gets angry. Does that mean that he's a bad person and Allie respond so tactfully.

She says well know, but it is a sin, but that's why Jesus came because he died for our sin on the cross. And that's why he came to this world so that we have a relationship with him and we could go to heaven and then she asked little boy. Would you like to believe in Jesus and he said why like to know little bit more. Let me think about it. So the next day at school little boy shows up again and Allie sits down next to him and she says hey so what did you think about and little boy said well I thought about it and I'm not ready right now test Jesus into my heart. I said okay no problem and she went on about her day.

See, not every time we share our faith are we going to land in apostle Paul or Pola Pastor Greg Laurie were relieved all these people to Christ. That's not always going to happen, but we all have a role. We can play in sharing our faith and being open about what we believe, because the next day at school. Allie shared with another kid. I love that she didn't let that discourage or that would've beat me. Don't know get rejected.

Nobody wants to get rejected right. Allie didn't let that phaser and she shared with another little girl at school and she started talking to her again same thing all what you believe and little girl asked her what you believe in. Allie shared her faith with her shared what it means to be a Christian and the little girl said wow that's amazing. Allie asked her would you like to asked Jesus into your heart little girl said yes and so they prayed right there at their school that that night Allie came home and she told me what happened. I was so excited for her and she said I want to take or something. What can I take her and I had this little track this little kid track that my dad wrote called been born-again tract and it just kinda breaks down what it means to be a Christian. And so I said what you could take this to her said okay that's nice but I also had one of these a brand-new new believers Bible just sit in on the table still wrapped in the cellophane and she looked over at that and I said or you could take her new believers Bible.

I don't know. Do you want to take a Bible school. Give that to her and she said I want to take the Bible so she gave us little girl a Bible. I love it I love it. So the next time that you're prompted to go do something. Remember, we need to have the faith of a child Jesus calls you to go do it. Jesus calls you to obedience. Don't put up some smokescreen some arguments some excuse as to why you're knocking to do it. You go and you be obedient little Allie. She felt prompted by Jesus ago ensure her face she saw an opportunity and she went and she did it. Ananias was called by God to go to Saul and will Ananias didn't necessarily agree with God. He was obedient and he went and that brings us to our first point ordinary and obedient little verse 10 others a believer in Damascus named Ananias and the Lord spoke to him in a vision calling Ananias and he replied yes Lord Ananias was ordinary and Ananias was obedient that word for believer that we just read in verse 10 is comes from the translated from the Greek word must CTs which every time it's translated in the Bible.

It's always the word disciple disciple not doesn't mean that he was one of the 12 disciples, it just means like a follower of Jesus.

Ananias was an ordinary dude.

He was an ordinary guy and you know what God loves to use ordinary every day people you might wonder what it takes to be used by God in a powerful way. Well, look at Ananias, he's ordinary, nothing special.

In fact, nothing is ever mentioned about Ananias and the Bible ever again, not by Paul in any of the epistles or anywhere else you might think that you know all magnified. If I had that college degree or if I had that more prestigious position at work, or if I had a few extra thousand followers on social media God could really use me then and the funny thing is, God loves use ordinary people.

If you read the Bible you see this big time. He was shepherd's used fishermen used homemakers, construction workers, tentmakers, all kinds of people. There were just every day, ordinary people, and why is that I believe were told in second Chronicles 69, which is the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those who heart is loyal to him.

God is looking for some to show himself strong on behalf of God deserves the glory and so he loves to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. So, in summary, looks at that situation there able to say that person didn't get there on their own. That person wasn't able to accomplish that on their own. There has to be something else here and of course that leads them to see God's hand in the situation God uses ordinary people God uses extraordinary people to I mean shoot. Saul was definitely an extraordinary guy.

God uses CEOs uses business owners uses community leaders and politicians infuses no professional athletes to. Here's the reality it's all about the heart. It's all about the heart. If your attitude is you know that all God is lucky to have someone like me, God would be stoked if I if I put my no name in the hat in and made myself available to God he be lucky to use some like me and you even think God couldn't do something like this without my participation. A friend that's not the heart. God is looking for. By the way, God can and he will find somebody else if you don't make yourself available and you believe that God is lucky to have someone like you with the reality is God who you somebody else and he can you somebody else and he doesn't need your help. See if your heart is prideful and in what the Bible refers to his hottie. You will find out quickly that God does not need you. And so we see here the next thing Ananias says is not how do you know how prestigious I am.

Do you know how lucky you are to have so many like me know.

He says yes Lord yes Lord, he's obedient. I love that the Lord says is Amy.

Just like yes Lord, almost like even sitting around waiting for the command is not given the standard teenage answer what was that you are you call me. Can you find someone else to do it. II did that last week who are you again no, no, he's ready. He's eager to do God's will. And yes, we see he has an objection, but then when the Lord tells him go. He goes and that is what we see so many failing out today and that is being obedient to the Lord's command. It was in it. It's okay to not like God's will. It's okay to ask God to change his will.

It's okay even to disagree with God's will and really we see the summarized in Jesus himself when he is in the garden of Gethsemane. Any sweating great drops of blood because he was so stressed and under so much pressure, knowing what was coming in just a few hours when he would be hanging on the cross for our sin.

Jesus didn't like God's will and he asked his father if there was any other way said if there's any other way. Let this cup pass from me then Jesus submits he says nevertheless not my will but yours be done. That should be our heart. It's okay to disagree with God's will. It's okay to not like it. It's okay to even ask him to change his will. But at the end of the day. We need to be willing to say nevertheless not my will but your will be done this or something in your life that God is calling you to do the little uncomfortable about maybe it's sharing your faith without unbeliever work in their like of you know vocal opponents of the Christian faith in your thinking. Maybe I'll just keep my faith to myself. I really want to engage with this guy I want to stir the pot too much.

Listen, God might be calling you to go and share that you are a Christian and don't open a dialogue with that person might challenge you to find the answers to some questions that you don't know you don't know the answer to.

That's okay God might be calling you to forgive someone who hurt you. Yemenite maybe there's a person in your life that you're harboring resentment. Again, it could be apparent it could be a sibling could be a person you out of business arrangement with and they ripped you off and took money from you. It could be a coworker. It could be your spouse calling you to forgive that person in your life. Forgiveness is God's will for you.

It could be the God is calling you to be more disciplined in the way you spend time with the Lord, you know it's kinda casually you get around to it. When you have time, you don't have a time set apart for the Lord. Listen, God might be calling you to be more disciplined in your relationship with him. It might be that God is calling you away from something guys calling you away from certain behaviors that maybe you struggled with in your realizing you can't break free from these things could be drugs could be alcohol, could be pornography might be part of your character. You're a pathological liar.

When somebody asked you a question. Your first response is to cover yourself and to live in, and to try and get away with it. Could be cheating cheating on your taxes. Cheating on your your schoolwork on your tests with you know is you're in college could be stealing know you dislike to steal little things usually take something from the store package might be stealing whatever this is something that God is calling you away from this is what the Bible talks about what he says we need to put off the old man and put on the new man, you may not like or agree or want God's will.

You may even ask God to change his will for you but if Jesus is your Lord, you will follow in his example. Just as he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on the cross a few months back with my kids. We are reading together the story of how Israel was just in this on-again off-again relationship with God right you know the story.

Basically Israel. They were brought into the land of milk and honey. The promise land.

The land of Canaan and they are inhabiting it. Things are going great God was delivering their enemies to them. He was prospering them with the Israelites that got comfortable and as they got comfortable. They turned back to fall in old patterns and they actually turned to false gods and worship of idols and different things and is that happen God would send them a wake-up call and then is there wake-up call got their attention. You know some you come through.

They get conquered or something like that. They would turn back to God. And this happened over and over and over they would turn away from God. God would send a wake-up call get their attention. Bring them back to himself and then they would get comfortable and they'd follow God the get comfortable again and then they turn away from God again and they keep going back and forth, back and forth.

My daughter Allie is were talking about this, who was 10 of the time. She asked me why did they worship other gods. Why did the people of Israel worship false idols when they knew God was real and they knew his power he had done so much for them.

Why did they do that now is a pastor you know I answer that question and talk about how people still do that today and by following their desires rather than God's, which was the original sin of wanting to be like God is a stereotypical preacher. My answer was too long Israel to too many facts and it probably went over her head a little bit, but she nodded okay thanks dad.

And then Christopher my son, who was eight at the time he sitting listening to all of this contemplating he's been quiet this whole time, but he times and he goes yeah I quote he said this. Yes, some people won't believe because they just don't want to, they just want to do what feels good, even if they know what's wrong. It's like they know what is true, but they just want to do with day want to do while that was way better than what I said yeah that's exactly right Christopher. I told him as I want to ask you where you fall in that category were you on that spectrum is God showing you something you need to start doing is God showing you something that you need to stop doing Ananias was obedient to a command from Jesus even when he didn't necessarily understand it or didn't necessarily agree with it. He was an ordinary guy who was obedient to God. Verse 17 says so Ananias, he went and he found Saul he laid his hands on him and he said brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road has sent me, so that you might regain your sight and be filled the Holy Spirit instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he regained his sight. Then he got up and he was baptized afterward. He ate some food and regained his strength.

Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. That brings us to our second movement of this message supernatural and blessed supernatural and blessed so we see Ananias. He is an ordinary guy. He's not the top dog in the local church is not a famous orator or an athlete or influencer. He's not even a YouTube or socialite on the scene in Damascus, but his heart was submitted to God and willing to yield his opinion and feelings and so he was obedient to the Lord.

And so Ananias, you find Saul Wright were the Lord told him he would be in their areas. Saul the Christian killer. The persecutor of the early church.

The reason for the dispersion of the church out of Jerusalem, sitting in this guy's house blind humbled so Ananias goes to him, lays his hand on him and he speaks to him now to know about you but if you ever get in a room with somebody that like you kinda don't like you kinda don't really get along with in your like hyper aware of where they are in the room and you just kind of trying to avoid him and then like you're standing next to them getting food next to each other and like the hem of their sleeve touches your shoulder intersect. Touch me to get out here. I want to be around you. It's what you bugged me you look overreacting with the way no just me that's just how Ananias had to of felt when he saw Saul like just trepidation, just like kind of repulsed don't even want to touch the sky and want to pray for you. Your Saul, you brought so much pain.

Maybe he's killed some of Ananias friends. We don't know. But Jesus called him to go and lay hands on Saul so he does and he puts his hand on Saul what happened next was a miracle. Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he regained his sight… Scales it's talking about like the same word used for scale talks about like fish scales right like there like something weird was over his eyes. He was completely blinded flaky and crusty and just falls from Saul's eyes. Immediately Saul stood up and he was baptized by Ananias, this ordinary man who was obedient to God, was used by God to do something extraordinary, something supernatural. Blessings. As you study Scripture you will see. Always follow obedience. Blessings always follow obedience. The more you give to God the more he blesses it. You give your life to him. He gives you purpose gives you fulfillment using meaning given your finances, given your tithe and your offering. Listen, God blesses you in a way that money never could you give them your family gives you a beautiful life and a legacy because of Saul's conversion.

We read. Ananias was blessed in verse 31 of acts nine it says the church then had peace through Judea and Galilee, and Samaria, and he became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord, and with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit and also grew in numbers, so when you are obedient to God, he will do things in and through you.

You never could have before. The blessings that you received. You could never manufacture. Listen, it doesn't take a vision of Jesus to tell you what his will is for your life. He is revealed it to us through the Bible and through sound Bible teaching.

So yeah, you know, figuring out the questions of life that we all wonder, hate, where should I buy my car.

Who should I marry, what school should I go to. These are all important things that we want to know what the most important thing is that you are obedient and submitted to God in his revealed will, which is found in the Bible.

It's a new year and it's a perfect time to start some new patterns I want to encourage all of you to check out and even join one of our online small groups either in person or online so you can begin digging deeper into God's word its place your defined community and as we read more about this man Saul who soon comes Paul. We see that he is a man surrounded all the time by spiritual community and the highs and lows in life. The best thing we can have his fellow believers to walk alongside us through them, but I know that there may be some watching right now were kind of like what my son Christopher to find you want to do what feels good even though you know what's wrong you know what's true.

You just want to do what you want to do friend between you and me. We both know that you don't even want to do the things that you want to do anymore. You probably seem like so many others that the desires of your heart has led you to a place of emptiness and ultimately separation from God.

Here's the reality you are swimming for oxygen at the bottom of a pool ramming your head into the ground, believing there's air on the other side. You will not find what you're looking for in this life outside of relationship with Jesus Christ. The obedience to God and being a ordinary person having a heart being willing to be used by God is the best place you could be. I want to encourage you to turn your life to Jesus to recognize that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. You are separated from God because of your sin. If you haven't received Christ as your Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us that honestly you're headed to hell you're headed to eternal separation from God and you're headed to a place that God doesn't want you to go to so much so that he sent his own son Jesus to die on the cross to make a payment for your sin. But not only that, just to save you from hell man that's enough right there know he sent Jesus to save you from hell and to save your life and to give you a life and life more abundantly. So today I want to encourage you put your faith in Jesus Christ. Give your life over to him be like Ananias and submit your will to God the things that you think are right side up.

Usually if it's in contradiction to God action not usually always is upside down and you need to be turned right side up.

You can only do that through having a relationship with Jesus Christ and having his Holy Spirit inside of you today so I want to encourage you right now and give you that opportunity to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. You can do it. It's so simple you might be sitting in your living room watching us right now might be watching this just your desk at work on your computer. You might be listening to this on a podcast or in your car wherever you are.

You can call on the name of Jesus and he will meet you right where you're at, you don't need to be in a special position. You don't need to know go and face a certain direction or go to Jerusalem or some high amount no you just need to call upon the name of the Lord, and you will be saved. So if you like to do that. Pray this prayer right where you are praying, writer, pray these words. Dear God, I know I'm a sinner but I know Jesus is the Savior who died on the cross for my sin.

So I turned for my sin. Now I turn to you, Jesus. I make you the Lord of my life from this moment forward. Help me to walk with you and hear from you, Lord, help me to be obedient to your call. In Jesus name I pray, amen. Everybody, thanks for listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it.

Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God