R1527 Genuinely Changed

As we launch the Monday edition of The Encouraging Word card has an encouraging word for you to the Bible-based printing of Dr. Don Wilton genuinely changed. That's today's message from Dr. Don as we dive in and just a few moments you need to know we are connecting.

That's right even now loving the opportunity to pray with you and for your you want to go old school and calls will take that call right now at 86689. That's 866-899-9673 jotted down stored in yourself like a keyboard keyboard meet us online@theencouragingword.org. Yet one more keyboard with your phone text word daily, right now to 30500 will send you a link you can sign up for the daily Encouraging Word email from Dr. Don.

That's one word daily texted the 30500 who would love to connect with you now. Father, I stand here today, just as one man sin saved only by God's grace. I know that I'm a man deeply loved by my beloved precious wife by my family, my grandchildren, and I know that I'm surrounded by people who love me and I thank you for that. Today I stand in this place. Knowing most of all that you love me you really changed my life and father. I often ponder. I did standing there at the empty two. I did standing there that he will call Golgotha found myself asking this question in the garden of Gethsemane.

Just the other day. Why would you love me so much and change me genuinely and you have an Lord, I wonder out loud what would become of my life. Had you not genuinely changed me head on not make you for real. Lord I can list 100 things that I think I would've followed because my heart was in the wrong places.

My life was about. This will was about pursuing off the a lot of good things but also a lot of really not so good things. Where would I be today without you all.

Jesus, today I have the privilege of standing before a precious people that I love so so much and I want to pray for someone right now that's listening. They would meet you and be genuinely changed in Jesus name I pray, amen. Open your Bibles to the book of acts in chapter 9. Want to begin by reading the story of a man who is genuinely trying we know him. We've heard about it name is Paul I want to just read the ski lift the Bible speak today, next chapter 9 and verse one but soul still breathing threats and murders against the disciples of the Lord went to the high priest in Austin for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any, belonging to the way that we believe is man or woman that he might bring them bounding chains back to Jerusalem as he went on his way as he approached Damascus suddenly a lot from heaven Sean around him and falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him soul soul. Why are you persecuting me and he said who are you, Lord, and he said I'm Jesus the one that you are persecuting.

Rise up and enter into the city and you will be told what you want to do so. The men were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing none so soul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were open be so nothing so I laid him by the hand and brought him into Damascus and therefore three days he was with outside and he neither ate nor drank it was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias the Lord said to him in a vision, analyze, and he said here I am Lord, the Lord said, rise up and go to the street old Sprite and at the house of Judas look for a man of tosses name soul and you'll find them trying and he has seen in the vision and am not man named Ananias, and lays hands on him that he might regain his sight, but Ananias also Lord I've heard from many about this man, how much evil he is done to your Saints at Jerusalem and in Damascus. He has the authority from the chief priests to bind and capture taken to custody all who call on your name, but the Lord said to him, go Ananias, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry out my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my names Ananias departed in the end about laying his hands on. Amy said brother soul the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you claim has sent me, so that you may be regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regain his sight. Then he rose. He was baptized and taking food.

He was strengthened and for some days he was with the disciples at Damascus and immediately proclaim Jesus and the son of God, saying he is the son of God and all who heard him were amazed and they said is this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem. Those who called upon this name has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bow before the chief priests but soul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews you lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. I'm just going to ask a question are you genuinely a changed person today you are asked this question. Are you a Christian manner. Christian lady and you said yes yes the are you genuinely changed is the proof in your life Bible says about this you will know you know by the fruit so I'm I'm going to a very deep level. Here, the people know that I am who I say I am in Jesus as a believer do they know that about you there in the business office. If your business associates right now will cost about you. Would they say on her.

She's she's a Christian she's a Christian lady is a Christian man on that campus at the ballgame golf course on that vacation.

Are you I have to awesome self that question, would you not agree with me that people would look at me as I will let you know that's Dr. Don Wilton you know he's the pasta. I carry a man but my genius Emily changed. I want to show you today that you can know this. I'm going to invite you to give your life to Christ. It's that important. You will not go to heaven on and I think so. Or maybe so. Based upon our self-worth and goodness, and I look every week at unbelievably precious people you really know Jesus.

Do you want to really know Jesus because you can really know him. This is what happened to Paul and I want to just take you on a very quick little journey.

This is exciting and God is going to speak to your heart. Then I'm going to invite you to give your heart to Jesus become genuinely changed. I want you to note something about this genuinely change man. First of all, that he was genuinely lost.

Now, you might've heard that word will that is a lost person, the word loss. It is a word that is applied to someone who doesn't know the way Jesus said I am the way and I lost person who is someone who has not found the way and a lost person is someone who does not have a relationship with the Lord Jesus, I mean a genuine relationship with Jesus you can know about God in your head and most of us today.

Do because that's the world in which we grow up we live in a beautiful world. We have so many opportunities and you probably from the time that you set your mother's knee had been told about God and about Jesus in the Bible but a lost person does not have a personal relationship.

I just spent these days with many of our people walking around in a world where there are so many different people from so many different cultures and so many different religions and you can know about God and you can pay homage to God, and you can offer sacrifices to God, and you can do good things for God, but not have a personal relationship with him through Jesus and Jesus came to this earth to point out to us that he is God's son coming to give us his life so that we can enter into a personal relationship with him. When you do the genuineness that relationship becomes so deeply genuine. Just think about marriage sometimes. Sometimes this is a hard thing to say to people, but there are people who have got a ring on the finger and married in a kind of a legal Saints, but what's missing is this personal love relationship you can have a legal document which you don't have a relationship and you just Carlock to ships sailing in the night you cooperate and you yes that's my wife.

This is my husband but the essential is missing.

You know what I'm talking about a genuinely lost person does not have a relationship does not have forgiveness. Forgiveness is the most precious gift that God gives to us when we enter into that relationship with. That's why he died on the cross, he shed his blood, in order that we might be forgiven of our sin.

I am Eye Center. All of us of sin and come short of the glory of God genuinely lost person does not have peace with God number asking deep questions here today.

This man was genuine. He had no peace.

I cannot prescribe that for somebody else and when it comes to the spiritual side of our lives having peace is a spiritual gift that God gives to you whereby by his spirit. God see tools you down in the assurance of your relationship with him. You know when someone loves you and that's what Jesus does for us. He gives us peace with God in and through Jesus, and if there is a proverbial restlessness and you you don't have peace and I'm going invite you today to say: you're listening to Dr. Don Wilton here on The Encouraging Word will be back with so much more of this great message genuinely changed in just a moment but will remind you about tonight's broadcast on TBN 6:30 PM Eastern.

Want to join us for the video broadcast of Dr. Don Wilton, perhaps invite a friend to join you.

You can find all the details on our website@theencouragingword.org. Now back to today's message genuinely changed with Dr. Don Wilton. He was genuinely lost, but he was not any genuinely lost.

He was genuinely out and about his lostness for this man in next chapter 9 took him on a proverbial journey.

What about him. This man was actively working against God.

Is that true of every put no not even remotely but I'll tell you, Paul.

He was so genuinely lost. Not that you get degrees of lostness. You're either full-bodied, or you're against God is no, middle road you not sort of lost and sort of say they are. When people come to me and say are you a believer. Well, I'm kind of, sort of, you know the pins which day of the week it is. If I could use that old saying you either ease or you ain't in this case, the outworking of his lostness for Paul not for me.

He was actively engaged in going against anything to do with the Lord Jesus. He was actually persecuting the church and he was not only actively working against God. He was adamantly opposing the people of God. That's what happens to a lost world a lost world will adamantly oppose the people of God America I lost a world without a personal relationship with the Prince of peace with Jesus will adamantly oppose the people of God. And that's exactly what he was doing and opposition to the people of God can sometimes be very subtle. You could even have a child who is grown up in your family and you have three children who have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and one who doesn't. And that one could in subtle ways push back oppose drop since Mike awkwardness doesn't want to be associated with you Christians social media in today's world doesn't take long to find out rampant opposition to the people of God, you dare say anything on social media that speaks about the Lord Jesus Christ in grace and mercy and reconciliation and justice between all people in somebody out there. He was genuinely out and about, what about this man was genuinely changed man.

He genuinely lost because you can not be borne in any other condition were born, lost in our sin he was. He was genuinely engaged out and about in his lostness, and you have to examine your own heart. It can be very quiet, very subtle.

Nothing actually see it's a disposition of the heart. Do you find yourself pushing back against all walking toward and embracing the things of the Lord, but he was genuinely confronted. I love this part. He was genuinely confronted. That's what happened to this genuinely change many average a genuine confrontation. First of all, there was a place and I'm one of those people. Like many of you I've had the privilege of actually standing so I'm going to tell you this is I been right there on the road to Damascus. So when you leave the beautiful sea of Galilee.

You go up into the Golan Heights on the border of Syria you get up to the top of the Golan Heights, and you looking at Damascus and this man, who grew up on the coastline therebetween tosses. He understood all this, but he was on his way. He left Jerusalem went through the hills of Samaria. Finally went up somewhere in the region of the Golan Heights over toward the Lebanese side and crossed over and there he was on the road to Damascus and he was safe. The body was determined he was going somewhere he had business to do even like this Christian thing. I mean, he was on mission there was I a place where this happened. So where are you right now I think right now you're in your place for me at my place I grew up in a wonderful Christian home and got out of the military and met this wonderful young lady and fell in love with her battling with my relationship with the Lord Jesus, I was firmly a member of the 1 foot club held a 1 foot club is ever met someone is good, 1 foot in the world and tries to keep 1 foot in God's kingdom. While I was in the 1 foot club. I love everything about the world tell you it was like tapping blood from a brick to get me to really go and then sing along with everybody else on me. Not because I knew the songs I'm told that in my heart just to something like all come on man. If we draw the gun. Look at Calvin have to always go to church for me my road to Damascus was sitting in a church service in our boys told some of my friends as I still don't remember exactly what he preached on her, but I'm just telling you the Lord Jesus confronted me. My heart was just strangely warmed.

I just all of a sudden began to see Jesus for who he is and I sold my soul for who I am that I was a lost man that I was separated and if I wasn't lost I was in the proverbial pigpen.

I was a prodigal son. I was far from God I was not living a vibrant life spiritual things would just not important to me. Yes yes yes let's go now yes okay and I could say it and do written gag – but you know I'm wrong, but not if all possible. But my wife or she was so beautiful I do anything to make her happy.

And besides, she was so blessed to marry me to begin with. But Jesus confronted me. There was a place there was a person that serious Jesus all of a sudden on the road to Damascus. Jesus and the Bible says it was this brilliant light Gethsemane.

By the way, is a place that has a golf right there in the Kidron Valley and it's right below the Eastern gate the Golden gate that is sealed up until Jesus will go through reclaim his throne on Mount Moriah for all time and all eternity. Why in that valley, the Kidron Valley. The valley of Jehoshaphat the valley of judgment right there in the garden of Gethsemane and right at the entrance there's a there's a cave. There are several kinds that sweet Jesus met Nicodemus, and Nicodemus was me he was qualified grew up in the right place and he walked up and said what must I do in order to go to heaven.

Jesus said to him you must be born again. I am the light of the world and he entered into a personal relationship with him and it was genuinely changed so because this man pulled genuinely confronted on the place that God gave to him your place might've been a football stadium.

I tell you it's a beautiful story. My story you know when he was genuinely confronted he was genuinely life group. He was genuinely life you know what happened to Paul.

You can follow it for yourself. From verse six all the way through its verse 17 he rose up, and he entered in and he joined up, and he listened to when he gave his life to Christ when he was confronted by the Lord Jesus. This Jesus who said go and make disciples. He knew exactly what it takes.

When you give your heart to Jesus, God will give you a place to go to God will give you a people to lead you, God will give you a teacher to instruct you. God will give you a mission to engage in God will give you a purpose for which to live the life group to this Christian thing is about us. What I love most of all about being with you is us. It's the arsonists it's the oneness you mean so much to me you build me up you encourage me you strengthened me you teach me you take my hand and you lead me you pray for me. You weep for me this is what it is. This is God at work in the genuinely changed person's life through genuinely changed people. This is the church. This man was genuinely delivered genuinely delivered. I mean, the Bible just tells us that it was remarkable. He was genuinely delivered because he was genuinely changed. The scales fell off. His eyes, he could see right my friend you know Jesus don't wait as long as I did.

Don't let the water flow too far down the road to Mombasa. One person told me one time not too long ago, you know, I want you to know that at this point time in my life. I'm going to do this and this and this for the Lord said please don't wait. I want you to have the joy now be liberated be set free be changed because that's what Christ does.

The scales just fall off your eyes.

All of a sudden, life becomes fresh and all of a sudden Joy comes back in meaning and purpose. All of a sudden greater is the one who is in you than the one that's in the world.

You become a conqueror because you become complete and courageous in him.

Your people all around you like that so thankful to the Lord for you for changed lives, the testimony of a changed life genuinely changed and all of us can sit there and say no, wait a minute you know I still struggle. Of course we do course, we still struggle and we still battle in this course we do with sinners by nature and we sin is by choice. But when Christ comes in.

He genuinely changes you and he does that for you and he does that for me. He takes all the angst out of you, takes the color out of your eyes. He takes the strain and the stress levels the playing field gives you hope and meaning and purpose. This is Jesus.

I just want to ask you today in a very simple way would you give your heart to Jesus. Perhaps you know like me and so many others you can you remember a time in an earlier day in my life. You know I was eight or nine years of age. I can't explain it all but I know this that the age of 24 My Damascus Rd. mean Jesus just did something for me that to this day. I know that I present to you perfect gone. How could that be that silly anymore than the church is filled with perfect people with sinners saved by God's grace. All of us, but look what he does when that light shines in our hearts. Any genuinely changes us and we have new hope and new meaning and new purpose. Would you like to say collect today. Perhaps you'd like to give your heart to Jesus. Would you pray this prayer with me.

Pray this prayer today.

Dear God, I know that Arneson this is my Damascus Road. I believe that you love me. I know that you do. I know you died for me and I believe you're alive why you do this for me.

I don't know but by faith. I repent of my sins and confessing my sin to you, Jesus and inviting you to come into my heart and take the scales off from my eyes.

Let me see let me live in you. Let me know that I'm forgiven because of you.

Give me a renewed purpose and a renewed meaning and he's doing it as you pray this prayer Lord Jesus I pray this prayer in Jesus name so much we love to pray with you to the next step of not only understanding is love but letting it transform you from the inside out. Give us a call right now at 8668. We would love to be a part of what God's going to do in the best of your life to come.

866899673 or you can connect online keyboard keyboard@theencouragingword.org before you weigh a closing thought from Dr. Don Wilton hello my friends I wanted just personally speak to you for a minute today from my heart to yours.

I hope you having a great day today. I don't think that there's ever been a more bitter, or perhaps important time for us to respond to this wound, by standing up for righteousness. I know that you agree with me. In fact, with this in mind, I'd like to invite you to become and encourage a ministry together we can impact the lives both now and for all eternity.

The daily Encouraging Word is in you and listen to support and to know that you are standing with me financially, enables me to move forms to do the work on his so please let me or skew call the number provided the end of today's process. I I want to become. Thanks so much for helping me number again is 866-899-WORD that 866-899-9673 or connect with us online@theencouragingword.org.

Take care