Defending a Lion (Part 1)

ACA playing the way we give away Magda Alexa leading the way leading the way.

Alexa open leading the way, welcome to leading the way with Dr. Michael Yousef for all for it is the power of salvation, passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth each day only way to find out about these and other ways to listen screen walk and how you can listen to Dr. Yousef smart home speaker always here for you and LTW.for a key for joining Dr. Michael is leading the way, here's a question for maybe two last time that you left your phone on the counter at home. You drove a couple miles in this overwhelming feeling of separation from that all-important device just overwhelmed. You question number two. Where's your Bible experience that same feeling of separation when you don't have your Bible with you or if you leave it somewhere by accident today on leading the way. Dr. Michael Yousef begins a powerful series reminding you of the uniqueness of the Bible challenging you to seek it as your only source of power in daily living. We want you to remember that leading the way is listener supported.

It's made possible by your prayers and your financial gaps. Learn more about how Dr. Yousef is passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth all around the world go to LTW.org or you can reach out to a ministry representative and have a conversation, 866-626-4356. Now let's listen together as Dr. Michael Yousef begins, I have always believed and always will believe them to more pics of your home, but the word of God is a mighty power when it is read apply our right through the years especially leading the way. When restarting the new language program and was going to different languages or around the world and we would offer on radio from most of these countries are Bible member language and we will get letters and believe it or not, I have kept some samples of those letters or thousands of one said I hunger to read the word of God, of which you speak, but I cannot get it in my country another person's I long to read for myself, the wonderful truth about Jesus. Please send me a Bible.

1/3 said I thirst like a man with parched lips and the spiritual desert for God's word.

I must confess to you whenever I read these letters and I still do a good read his letters and contrast this is an incredible first hunger for the word of God. When our contrast what is happening for us here in the West the indifference that we have toward the word of God. The abandonment of the word of God. I must confess to you. I deeply read in the last just average home probably has more than one Bible governing dust. There is no book like it, but is not look like this ever been produced anywhere in the world or anyone at any time in history, and it God reveals himself to us in doing so, he used 40 different writers over a period between 15 to 1600 years. Even though there were 40 writers 15, 1600 year span, and yet they all consistently tell the same story. The Bible is free from factual contradictions, its theme is consistent. It is free from human orchestration, the bombarding the Bible out of kept all the bad stuff out and make people look good is free from human orchestration. It is written with people of varying backgrounds from Kings to doctors to shepherds to tax collectors. It is written in different periods of time in world history. It is written in different parts of the world. From Europe or Asia to Babylon is not look like it in all of human endeavor that is not a book like it. Not even close in its uniqueness. Imagine a book that is written 500 years ago say about medicine or science, 500 he is not 15 or 16 are not 3000 years ago, but just 500 years. Imagine that book is as accurate today as the that was written possible right and that is why there is no book like it's while it contains 66 books 40 different writers over a span of 15 or 1600 years, and it contains various subjects, but it only has one theme Jesus Christ the Redeemer. That is the theme of the entire Bible. The books of the Old Testament tell us that is coming, and then the New Testament announces he's here, the 66 books in one book but don't tell 66 stories no barrel tell one story, what is it man's rebellion against God and God's redemption for everyone who repent of that rebellion and that is why to this day the unity of the Bible has defied human wisdom, the unity of the Bible has baffled the critics, the unity of the Bible challenges its enemies. The unity of the Bible codes its opponents. There is no book like it. Every prophecy that began by saying, thus says the Lord. It came to pass, with a meticulous details and precision's only book that I know that has endured the centuries of being attacked my mind a borrowed burned and buried.

And yet that stands I remember my one and only visit to China and I met with some leaders of the underground church a note telling me the back in the days of the cultural Revolution and the commonness there was shredding the Bible, but the believers at that time picking up the shreds and try to assemble it together so they can read it. Think about that.

Think about that throughout history people have either love the word of God or hated the word of God people either believe that all that rejected it. Throughout history they have tried to change it live. Try to modify it there tried to undermine its authority tried to water down this demands throughout history, dictators, despots and potentates have sought to banish it yet. They are all dead, and the word of God still moves today. Amen.

Amen. Give God glory please him arrived what turns me up with tears me up about the Bible today is this what despots, atheists, commonness godless people failed to accomplish is being accomplished by Christians and spines is a Michael how come by not reading and believing it. Trusting your writing. It they are accomplishing what is despots could not accomplish. And that is why my prayer throughout this short series of messages that everyone everyone everyone at the sound of my voice would be awake in the fresh as to the joy and the power that can only come from reading, believing and obeying what a God. I know we all talk to ourselves wall self talk, not just wonder how many of us have ever asked the question why would some people who claim to love God and I might even claim Jesus as their Savior, and yet they will spend more time watching television or playing golf, reading books, socializing, then reading the word of God. Have you ever thought about this note. Nothing wrong with these things do all of these things except the golf swing. I don't understand about spend money, get frustrated, I tried once or twice and but for some reason we have time for everything except spending time with the word of God and drinking deeply from it and getting the benefits will offer this very short introduction I want to share with you and this can be very brief.

I want to share for things the Bible is the only spiritual food that will nourish your soul, and secondly, the Bible is the only power that you can have in your life power for living uncertainly. It is the only member that will truly reveal to you your true self. The only matter. Unfortunately, it is a perfect temperature shower that can wash his you and cleanse you Harris look at those four things very quickly. First of all, the word of God is the only food is the only food I am not against preaching I preach analogous reading other books I read books but I'm telling you now on the authority of the word of God that the word of God itself is the only food that will sustain you spiritually that will nourish you spiritually that will encourage you every day.

That analogy between the physical body and the spiritual body is often mentioned in the Scripture that just as our physical bodies need nutrients need good food, nutritious food for the body to be strong and survive saw is the spiritual food as needed for our spirits. A beloved I know and I know you know that in this country at least we haven't missed too many meals. Rev. Mr. many meals. Thank God I'm done what you feel guilty about it. I just I got but how in the world can we go months after mom's without feeding our spirits on the word of God. We work hard to provide daily food for our families and that's wonderful. It's good we work hard to stay healthy and that's great. We work hard to educate our children.

We work hard for physically to supply and yet when it comes to feeding of us benefits of creating of our soul. We think that we can survive in few crumbs that we get here there and everywhere whole this into what God said to Isaiah 55 to why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy listen to me, and eat what is good and your soul will glide in the riches affair. Beloved, listen to me. The reason we are spiritually in the famine the famine the spiritual sermon where intraday is because God's people are so among nourish to the point of getting into a coma. The word of God is not only the only food is worthy of the name for your spirit.

But secondly, it is only power for living.

Romans 116 says on my live versus I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power say that with me the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, first of the Jordan to Gentiles and out with whatever looking for power. I think every single person at some point, is looking for power looking for power over our circumstances when we feel helpless. We were looking for power over our lives were looking for power over the challenges of life that we all face but we forget that the word of God is the only power over soon that the word of God is the only power with temptation that the word of God is the only power over our circumstances and the word of God is the only power over diseases and illnesses that the word of God is the only power over the challenges of life. The word of God is not only food for our soul.

The word of God is not only a powerful living but thirdly the word of God is the only mirror that can truly reveal to you yourself the only one, and I wondered in my own spirit now thinking aloud. I wonder because the fact of the word of God is a matter that reflects back to us. Our real selves. That's why people don't want to read it.

I just wanted I'm not make a statement on thinking aloud see most people don't want to be confronted with their hypocrisy.

Most people don't want to be confronted by the double standards. Most people don't want to be confronted by their compromises. Most people don't want to be confronted by the complacency.

A preacher preaches about prayer and they feel guilty they don't. Start prayer life in the new okay for a while and back to normal. The preacher preach Leatherwood all got to read the word got a good because I'm that's complacency. It's a permanent change of God is looking for someone to renew. Most people stop looking in the mirror thinking well if I don't look in the mirror I want to myself. I want confront my failures. I want from front of these things that I don't like please please come right from this. The mirror confronts us with facts and so many would say because of that I don't like to look in the mirror another look at the mirror. James, the half-brother of Jesus said the following to chapter 1 of James 123 and 24. Anyone who listens to the word of God, but does not do does not do what it says would be like a man who looks his face in the mirror and, after looking himself gets away immediately forgets what he saw. I wonder how many of us really really enjoy and likes looking in the mirror first thing in the morning when you wake up not talking about you don't know the mainland where when you Harris of the shovel and in the face looks like a truck has been driven all over it now. In my case it's a horror show coming really scary but please listen this. Looking at the matter is precisely what caused me to do something about it. Looking at the matter is what propels me to hit the shower and do a few other things. Some of us do more than others, but that's okay. Now suppose you're looking to see yourself and then you say well I don't like what I see but you know what I wonder thing about it today might do something about it sometime down the road and then you go to work just the way your there will be a horror show for anybody else but that's precisely what happens when a believer looks at the word of God is a member and confronts failure frailty inconsistencies and the list goes on and on and on but thank God the word of God is not only America but forcefully, and perhaps the most important visa, perfect temperature water shall it cleanses.

Ephesians 526 says the word of God is like a perfect temperature shall not know so you think this is a rough translation, but trust me that's what he meant to say then that show is Megan that's what Buddha said, regardless of how terminable you my look. Regardless of how much vacuum I have accumulated regardless of how much filth that you feel you carrying the moment you go under the shower you 100% convinced that I get a witness.

But here's the thing why I said the fourth one is really the most important because if you imagine the following scenario. Suppose you look in the mirror maybe working in a looking like a grease monkey and you look in the mirror that you can do nothing about it because nothing about. He deliver that. Just think about how depressing that would be how frustrating that would be I can change the condition.

I think I know you agree with me you agree with me about the frustration and depression that could result pump fan speed to God that his word is not only a man that reveals ourselves to us, but it also shower that washes us get under it. You'll feel hundred percent better you will walk away, rejoicing.

I will explain this one and by the mirror and the shower. You have to understand the word of God interprets order. God, I don't have the answers. Think about for Beth in first Peter chapter 1 verse 22.

Here's what he said now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth.

Notice that just reading it obey. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the word of God so that you have sincere love for the brothers and sisters in Christ love one another deeply, from the heart was is got to do with the mirror in the shower everything to do with it. Listen carefully because I know experiential. He and I know most of you do is what it means you take a good look in the mirror and you see resentment, bitterness, what you do you go under the shower. The word of God and what does the word of God will do it will replace that resentment and bitterness by love for one another. See that's that's what it means the love of Christ to start pulling into the very people that you have been feeling resentment toward your heart is filled with love toward them. That's when you obey the word of God. That's what it means. You look in the mirror and you see deep-seated anger, hatred toward someone I knew immediately go under the shower and the Lord just hidden his word purifies you cleanses you and replaces that anger will love for the very person that you angry with all precious heavenly father, thank you for your sovereignty and I think you that throughout these thousands of years, and all of the efforts that people exerted in order to distort or destroy the word of God. You Say for us today. We have a purpose for that use of the will of God is your sanctification for the person who does not know you, Lord Jesus is our pride that they invite you to come into the life and experience the joy of your forgiveness for the person who has known you for a long time and is got hold toward you cold toward the word of God.

I pray for a special awakening in each. Console and so the Lord these last days, we begin to live for you. Father operate this in the mighty Maximus name of Jesus. Amen. This is leading the way with Dr. Michael, you set. Perhaps today's message helped you to realize that you really need to began and developed a relationship with Christ that we would love to help you explore that start by filling out a short form and LTW.org/Jesus that starts the process. LTW.org/Jesus and as you heard today. The Bible is your spiritual food your power for living in the mirror at things in life that need to be cleansed by God to encourage you to dig further into the Bible, we encourage you to not only listen to Dr. Yousef but also to watch him on television he offer sound teaching as well as production features that will encourage you to go deeper in your walk with the Lord, so check your local cable or satellite listings or visit us LTW.org when you get there. Scroll down near the bottom and use the station finder that LTW.org now. You might also enjoy a podcast that leading the way recently began producing. It's called candid conversations with Jonathan Yousef. In it Jonathan tackles topics in life and in culture today you will participate in engaging conversations with people who speak to these issues.

Learn more about it and LTW.org/canted that LTW.org/canted layers. The music that housing we are running out of time. Thank you for being with us and do plan to join Dr. Michael you sent next time right here when he passionately proclaims the uncompromising on leading this program is leading the way with Dr. Michael with us to our YouTube channel based twitter and all of our social learn more and LTW.org