R1043A Looking Ahead With Confidence

We all could use some encouragement. I will find it together today in the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton in just a moment Dr. Don Wilton, our teacher, well-known author and pastor and seminary professor, and more is going to take is to ask chapter 2 about this topic. Looking ahead with confidence. Oh, there's so much confidence building material in this book we call the Bible itself, God's Encouraging Word and will start with acts chapter 2 today. While we do so. Another were available to connect with you in a couple of ways both on our website, tewonline.org, RG, and this phone number 866899 word and connect when I was 24 hours a day. That's 866899673 or tewonline.org oh RG now.

Today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton prayer together little sprite almost gracious and loving heavenly father. What a wonderful, wonderful privilege it is to bow our heads before you today to worship you.

We have so much to be thankful for. You have blessed us and you have poured out your spirit upon us and you have been so gracious to us. We thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ and we thank you that Jesus came to this world so that we might have life so that we might know what it means to forgive and to be forgiven so that we might be reconciled.

Draw father which is in heaven, so that we might know that we know that we know that one day when we die, or if the Lord Jesus would come back to this earth before that time that we would go instantly into your presence and join all of our loved ones who have already found themselves seated at the feast table of the king. What a reunion that will be and how grateful we are today for the gift of life. Even through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Father, we are here today people worshiping you, seeking your face some Lord in the deepest of values. Some whose hearts are so hurt some Lord love going through the greatest struggles they've ever gone through and get you there. So today we pray for people who are in desperate need of a special touch father in heaven reach now touch people today whose hearts are hurting people who are struggling. Those who have nothing to eat those Lord who are cold and need a shelter in a warm blanket placement today. Father Lord, we come to you as well as the people who find ourselves on a mountaintop there were so many who have every reason today to smile and rejoice this season has been a time of great joy. Families that have come together celebration giftgiving Lord, we thank you for the blessings of life. We thank you Lord for the provision about means the rooms over our heads, the motor calls that we drive the tables at which we sit the future that we contemplate. And so we give you thanks today with trying to for those who suffer great with a ring writing witness for Christ. There are so many today. One morning, suffering, loss, Lord bless people today who mourn many homes this season. Lord, where there was an empty seat type. We pray for people who are deployed overseas and we thank you for the we thank you for they sacrifice and we bless them in the name of the Lord today. Father, we want to price so much for our president and for his wife and family, even as they are on vacation, which must be so hard to do. Occupying a seat in which there are so many things around the world to deal with.

We pray for members of Congress, governors of states, mayors of cities Chiefs of police for people in positions of leadership and authority pray that you and your protection would be a problem. Watch over them Lord above all for the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this, our beloved nation.

These united states of America so desperately needed. Lord, our hearts cry out today in the world in which we live that we might be bold and resolute, because we have a message to share. We got work to help us to lay aside the things that so easily beset us. The whites that weigh us down, Lord, because the devil is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Help us Lord to be stayed far to show unconditional love toward one another. So bless this time together. Our father, thank you for this most these dear people, with thousands upon thousands. You listen and worship through The Encouraging Word broad cost ministry. This is lamp disliked, we bless the name of the Lord together today praying these things in Jesus name, amen.

Hello everybody, top of the day to you and I trust that you had a wonderful weekend goes by so quickly does not, and the but it does it goes by and we're here today and we worshiping the Lord. I just want you to know how much I love you today you are a precious people.

Even this weekend. They have been many many needs and it just amazes me.

It absolutely blesses my heart to encounter the numbers of people who were there long before the salmon runs in the Don Wilton's and the steam wises in the great drives get anywhere near people there already scores of people who are ministering to others and I love you for that. You know that holidays and particularly Christmas and new year does not mean that people suddenly stop hurting infected intensifies. It always happens that way and you will not become aware of the things that touch our own lives, but there are 100 others, and today we are here to celebrate the Lord Jesus to get and I just want to say to you is a group of people is your pasta that I love you and I thank God for you and for your faithfulness and for your ministry.

The name of the Lord Jesus and I just placed you today and I know that God is going to bless you in your life in every regard. Unfortunately, we've just been reminded that the tragedies related to terrorism on some who would say you know this was the decade in which I lost my job.

There are some who would talk about things nobody else will talk about. I went through a terrible divorce. I lost a loved one suffer the tragedy. I graduated and thought I could get a job and here I am, and I still don't have a job.

I was diagnosed with this disease and this still seems to be no solution to my problem. Are there a lot of people who would say, well, that hasn't been my experience. I want to do something today folks and I the Lord is really put this in my heart. I'm going to ask you first open your Bibles to the book of acts. In chapter 2, the book of acts and chapter 2 and I want to speak to you today about looking ahead with confidence. Looking ahead with confidence.

Some of you might say pasta who exactly are you speaking to.

I believe that God by his spirit through his word. Wants to speak to you and to me this is a word just for you. It's a word for the church to work for the family. The word for the individual to work for a husband for a while. For some of her daughter. It's a word for each one of us. God will apply his word not to be right down the line with you but as you open your Bible to acts chapter 2. I want everybody to if you don't mind, just look in my direction and I'm going to just tell you something very quickly okay this is very important. Often Jesus rose from the dead and then all think he is saying that he went back in the hip there was light.

Devastating nothingness spiritually. One of these days I'll show you exactly what that meant, but from the time that Jesus went up in the hip to be with God, went back to heaven until the time of acts chapter 2 is the Davis time ever, nothing happened. It was a time of powerlessness never felt as though you just can't do. Another thing you just draw the line you say that I can't even get out of bed in the morning. I don't know where to turn to and in the beginning of the book of acts and chapter 2 we have what is called Pentecost and Pentecost. God seemed down his spirit. This God came down upon the remember that God is three in one God the father is God the son, and his God the Holy Spirit.

God is three in one. So when God seemed his spirit to the service. Just listen carefully you sink himself again mimic the same Jesus, he sent himself because God was in Christ reconciling the world himself. And then Jesus lived on the earth, and he was crucified and then on the third day, by the power of God. He was raised from the bid. Then he appeared to over 500 people, including his disciples right on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and then here same from the Mount of olives and he went back up into heaven and God saved himself back again. In the feel of his spirit and his spirit is still on this earth is spirit is here. Not every I'm going to get back in the book of Revelation and we know that when the rapture of the Church Takes Pl. in Jesus comes in the clouds and all believers are taken up out of this and Antichrist rises up and says please don't worry about a thing. I actually am God.

The Bible says in second Thessalonians chapter 2 that is going to with his spirit from the he's gonna withdrawing his spirit again from the earth.

And then he's going to seem a powerful delusion upon the world so that those who are left behind will believe the lie. What is the lie not a lie.

The line the lie is the lack of Antichrist to say is well don't worry about a thing. I know all believers are gone and I know there's been catastrophe, and I know some things going on but don't worry about a thing, because I am God. The lie is Antichrist sitting himself up as God and some people say were how is everybody going to believe such rubbish. Two reasons why not one because God's going to withdraw his spirit so there's going to be no means for people to be able to believe what truth is. Number two God is going to send a powerful delusion upon the that means God is going to cause man to become in his thinking.

Not so in acts chapter 2 in acts chapter 2 God seems down his spirit. God gives to us himself and sudden power comes upon, and so you got the beginning of the New Testament church so Peter I love Peter Peter takes the disciples and he goes to the southern end of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, not you can picture the Temple Mount. Okay, on the southern side of the Temple Mount was the main entrance to the temple infected had two entranceways kind of under the temple and it came up from the city of David, and so all the people of the world would gather together at the southern end of the temple. That's where you would find all the nations of the world, all the people would gather there after at the entrance to the temple. They would come from everywhere from all over the world. These people guess what Peter did Peter say wow I got a congregation. I got all the people of the world gathered and Peter stood up and he preached the very first sermon that was ever preached. That's what I'm doing right now you ever wondered where all this preaching comes from Roger. Acts chapter 2. This is where began. Please forgive the eruption will be back with more of Dr. Don Wilton's message. Looking ahead with confidence in just a moment the doctor done once me to remind you where here for you acting in a number of ways, especially our website tewonline.org looking to find a resource that could be just what you are someone close to you needs to get you find all of our resources for theencouragingword@tewonline.org that's TE online.org right now.

This particular two-part element of book and a message from Dr. Wilton on loneliness, how to be alone, but not long. Oh, such great insight and such valuable teaching from God's word again how to be alone, but not long. Just one of the many resources you'll find on our website right now TE online.org if you'd like to invest in that copy of an order.

You can call right now it 866-899-WORD in order your copy 866-899-9673 in order your copy of loneliness, but not lonely as you invest in that particular resource you will be investing in the ministry of The Encouraging Word now back today's great teaching Dr. Don Wilton someone arranging you some of what he pretty just extrapolate I'm going to take salmon foundations out of that and I'm just going to give them to the camp on because they very important as we look ahead with confidence. Here is Peter folks listen to me just Peter God has revealed himself to them through his spirit.

He's given them the message he's told them what to do. Peter is making the announcement before anything else is happened and he puts everything onto the seven foundation. Guess what we gonna do today.

We just going to tell one another from God's word what the salmon foundations and folks let me tell you if we make a commitment in our hearts in our church individually to stand on the seven solid foundations.

You can look ahead with confidence arrived.

Verse 14 then Peter stood up with the 11, raised his voice and he addressed the crowd, fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you listen To what I have to say these men are not drunk, as you suppose, Sunday 9 o'clock in the morning not this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel that in the last days, God says I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women.

I will pull my spirit. In those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Men of Israel, listen to this Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did among you, through him, as you yourselves know this man was over to you by God's sake, purpose and foreknowledge, and you with the help of wicked men you put in today by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death because it is impossible for to keep its hold on him. Let's skip over diverse 32 God has raised this Jesus to life and we are all uses to that effect. All right, let's go down to verse 36 therefore let all Israel be assured of this that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and they said, men and brethren, what shall we do Peter replied repayment and be baptized every one of you for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise is for you and your children and for all who are afar off, all whom the Lord our God will call and with many other words he warned them saying and he pleaded with them, saying, save your souls from this corrupt generation. Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3000 were added to their number that day and so they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, and the breaking of bread and prayer. A.

Everyone was fooling with all, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles, the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. And every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts that broke bread in their homes and that together with glad and sincere hearts, praising and enjoying the favor of all the people and the Lord added to their number. Those who were being saved. Now you heard the first message ever preached. Guess the issue, how can we look ahead with confidence folks. I don't know what the next year hold you. I don't know what the year 2015 holes 2018 the next decade holds what tomorrow holds, but I can look ahead with confidence.

So the issue is this what was it that Peter C that provided a solid foundation on which to stand.

You not but children just like you raising children in today's world's tough work Charlie heart somebody can say I managed quite all right. Charlie heart you know what parents do when our kids just to bricks in the ticking high that that thing we start teaching such powerful insight from today's teaching Dr. Don Wilton. Looking ahead with confidence were looking ahead to the next broadcast to complete today's message but maybe in the midst of this moment you realize that God is tracing in our own lives, our level of confidence and increasing that on a daily basis. It all starts with the first most important decision and that's the decision to give her life to Jesus Christ for us to stop taking control but to surrender to Jesus you've heard Dr. will tonight. He's been teaching and preaching now as he stepped into the studio.

Open your heart to what he wants to share next are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that on the seventh and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart in Jesus night, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting.

You if you just prayed along with Dr. Wilton to rededicate your life to Christ or to give your life to Jesus for the very first time we want to rejoice with you. Dr. Wilton wants to pray for you once you let us know about your decision.

You can call us at 86689. That's 866-899-9673 would love to send these resources to you if you could also email Dr. Wilton tell about your decision for Christ is email is simply Don Dio in at tewonline.org G that's Don Dio and at tewonline.org. He can also connect with us directly our website@twonline.org Encouraging Word member of our community. Explicit teaching letters from Dr. Wilton. You will also receive periodic updates on how The Encouraging Word is working to steer God's truth with the searching world can even sign up to receive the daily Encouraging Word directly. Scribe today by visiting our website@ewonline.org/email EW online.org/email The Encouraging Word viewer listeners ministry.

Thank you for listening today, tomorrow, join us for the conclusion of this powerful message.

Looking ahead with confidence with Dr. Don Wilton between now and then.

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